Five Years Later
by KassandraK
Summary: Five years after the birthday incident in New Moon, the Cullens return to Forks to find a very different Bella awaiting them. With Emmett newly single and Edward vying for her attentions, who will Bella choose to spend eternity with?
1. Chapter 1

** Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**This takes place 5 years after the New Moon birthday incident. Disregard anything after that. Hope you enjoy the first chapter, please review and let me know if I should bother to continue. **

Here I was, five years later, staring up at the empty house of what used to be my family. Here I was, five years later, my heart no longer pulsing and tightening whenever I drove by. And here I was, five years later, finally fucking over it. I felt a blossom of pride swell in my chest as I crossed my arms in triumph and stared up at the glass house full of old, cherished memories and heartbreak. No more heartbreak for me, though. No more wimpy, easily broken Bella. After the "incident", as I refer it to, I could barely function for a year. Jacob, Charlie, and Angela were my only reprieves from the reality of the Cullen's leaving... From Edward leaving. I could say and think his name now without feeling like throwing up. That was nice.

I graduated high school, went to college, and finished early. I guess I really didn't need anyone to motivate me, but me. I dormed for the total of my 3 years in college and busted my ass to get done early and save Charlie some money. I couldn't believe it had been three years since I'd last seen good old Forks, Washington. And now, I was back for good. I'd found a little apartment close to Charlie's that I could afford. But before I could head to my welcome home shindig, I had to know if I could even be back without heartache. And so here I was, standing in their old driveway, staring up at their empty house, and trying to comprehend why I wasn't feeling nauseated or why I didn't want to cry. It felt like the weight of the world was finally lifted off my shoulders and was being wisped away by some higher power. I was finally over it and nothing made me want to laugh more than this moment of joy.

If I missed anything at all, it was Alice. Alice- my personal shopper, my future seer, my number one protector, and my best friend. I often wondered how she was doing… if she missed me as much as I missed her. Hell, I missed them all. I missed Alice's bouncy happiness, Emmett's rough laughter, Carlisle and Esme's loving smiles, and even Rosalie's hard glares. The only person I still resented was Edward. So many nights I wondered about why he would leave if he really loved me? How could he be "protecting" me from so far away? How could he say it would be as if he never existed, but know that my heart would break into a million pieces? There were still so many questions I had left unanswered and I knew I would probably never get a chance for closure. Without closure, it had taken me 5 whole years to get over this whole fucked up situation. I missed my family, I missed the love they gave me without question, and I missed the good old days when vampires were a part of daily life. But I had to move on eventually.

I turned and glanced back at the red truck parked in the driveway, still as old and creaking as ever, and still a huge part of me. Inside was a new plaque—a plaque that read my name and a beautiful engraving of my degree in education beneath it. Forks Elementary would be welcoming a new teacher soon. I smiled, taking a deep breath and standing a little straighter now. 22 year old me was confident, beautiful, and smart. I repeated this mantra to myself as I turned around and got back into my truck, running a finger over the plastic wrapped plaque sitting on the passenger side.

"I can do this." I whispered, nodding and putting my car into gear and taking one last look at my past and mentally shoving it behind me before backing out and heading towards my new apartment, where Charlie would be waiting with Jake and the pack. If one thing hadn't changed about me, I still hated surprises. I received a call on the way over that there would be a little party for my welcome back and I begrudgingly agreed. I couldn't deny how excited I was to see everyone again.

The little cake and welcome home party was comforting and I couldn't feel more elated to be back. I gave a full round of hugs, Jake and Charlie's the biggest of all. I had all the important people in my life back now, and nothing would be getting in my way.

"Bells, you look beautiful." Charlie whispered gruffly as he released me from his death-hug and I rolled my eyes.

"You're my father. You're required to say that every time you see me." I reply in a sheepish voice, patting his back. "You look great too, Dad." I reply while taking a slice of cake from him.

"Bella, this is a great place. Roomy for just one person!" Jake said with a nudge on my shoulder, winking at me. I turned away from Charlie and grinned at him.

"Yeah, you're all welcome to sleepover whenever. As long as you don't clean out my fridge."

"We'll try not to. It's good to have you back, Bells. We all missed you. And I was getting tired of talking to you on the phone all the time." He said, pulling me into another hug. I smiled, returning it and patting his back.

"I'm surprised Leah didn't kill you for constantly calling." I chime back and he grinned sheepishly at me. After I started dorming, Jake had imprinted on Leah. I couldn't be happier for him. They were practically joined by the hip and she was giving him a little space to talk to me right now since it'd been so long. Leah had really shaped up over the years. She was beautiful with her cropped black hair and tanned skin. They looked perfect together.

"She knows I love her." He replied, giving her a wink from across the room. She smiled and winked back, giving me a soft, timid wave. I grinned, nodding at her. We had never been on great terms, but maybe things could change now.

We all stayed and chatted for a while. Sam and Emily were doing well and I was invited over to their upcoming baby shower. It felt like nothing had changed at all. Jake was still my best friend, Charlie was still Charlie, and the pack was still consuming everything in their sight and still asking for more. I was elated.

"When do you start teaching?" Emily asked, patting my knee and sitting next to me. Her belly was swelling with pregnancy and she was absolutely glowing with happiness. I couldn't be happier for the both of them.

"Next week. I just need to get settled in and everything should fall into place."

"It's so good to have you back, Bella. You've grown so much in just 3 years." She said with a nod and a kind smile.

"Really? I don't feel like I've changed much…"

"You're gorgeous!" Seth chimed in next to her and I flushed in my seat, shaking my head.

"I'm the same girl, guys. Just an inch taller with longer hair and a new degree."

"With boobs!" Jake added in at the end, which earned a hard slap from Leah and the fatherly death glare from Charlie. We all laughed. Finally, they left a few hours later and I was left to my own vices. It really was good to be back.

A week passed quickly. I was able to settle back in with ease and was welcomed quickly into the folds of the school as the 1st grade teacher. It felt weird being called 'Miss Swan', but the kids were truly adorable. I had no idea how much I would like children until I got to work with them briefly in college as a student teacher. I felt like I had found my calling by molding young minds and teaching them new things. It was so liberating.

And then about a week and a half into my return, I heard something that would undoubtedly ruin the rest of my existence. There I was, walking into the diner for a cup of coffee before class, and the waitress behind the counter said **it**. The "it" that sent a hammer into the quickly crumbling wall of resolve around my heart.

"The Cullens are back."

I almost dropped the foam cup in my hand, my world rocking for a second before I turned to her. No. Fuck no. They weren't back. It was too soon for them to be back! I thought it would be at least 50 years before they would return and by then, I would be too decrepit to remember. "What did you say?" I asked quietly, leaning up against the counter to hide the shake in my knees.

"The Cullens. They're back. All of them. Didn't you date one of them back when you were in high school?" she asked innocently, her eyes watching me with sly curiosity.

"Uh, yeah. I did. Did you say all of them?" I asked, just to make sure. This couldn't be happening. Everything was so perfect. Of course as soon as things turn out right, the world just happens to spit the worst case scenario on me. God must really hate me.

"Yup. The whole gang is back at their old place. Dr. Cullen starts tomorrow at the hospital." She said dreamily before turning back to her orders. I could feel the world shift beneath my feet, my reality rocked for a moment as I tried to collect my thoughts and head out the door. At least I had today to gather my thoughts. That's right, Bella. At least you have today.

The school day went by in the blur. Jesse had a mishap with the glue, sticking a bunch to his hair. I had to send him home early so his mother could try and get it all out. Katherine fell and scraped her knee. I cleaned and dressed it accordingly, trying desperately to keep the Cullen's out of my thoughts. Thank God these were 1st graders. They couldn't tell I was distraught.

It was only a matter of time before they sought me out and my heart jumped at the thought of seeing any of them again. I missed them all so dearly. All but one. I grumbled inside at the thought of inevitably running into Edward again, but my heart sang at the thought of seeing the rest of the family. Was there even a chance we could grasp a piece of what we all used to have? Did they even miss me at all? Jesus Bella, you're overthinking this.

The drive home was quiet and uneventful. I received about a dozen calls from Charlie and texts from Jacob. They both knew, apparently. I called them both to let them know I was fine. After a few minutes of the 'Are you sure you don't want to come stay with me?' talk from both of them, I was able to get them to back off for a second. I was Bella the Confident now. I was smart, beautiful, and confident. I would be fine. I found it harder to repeat the mantra as I pulled into the driveway. I nearly hit the car that was already parked there, though. My breath hitched as I pulled up next to it and peered inside the familiar silver Volvo, immaculately clean and shiny.

No one was inside. Of all people, they sent Edward to come and find me? Why him? Shouldn't they know I would be the most furious with him, of all people? Jesus, Bella. You're supposed to be over this. Apparently I'm not. I groaned in frustration, leaning back in my seat for a second and sighing heavily. Well, if he's in there I'm making a fucking entrance.

I quickly yanked out a compact from my purse and tidied my makeup, running a hand through my mahogany curls before stepping out of the car. Taking one more deep breath, I headed into the apartment to meet my past head on.

**A/N: So I know I have a couple of other fics up right now that I haven't worked on in months because I suddenly had writers block and got frustrated with the storylines. So I ended up whipping this little bit up to see how it would go. Eventually, this will be a Bella/Emmett fic, but it will take time for romance to really blossom between them. Chapters will be about 2000-3000 words each, maybe more if I have the time. Thanks for reading, please review if you have a moment. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

I pushed open the door in anticipation, knowing that my heart was about to bust out of my chest. Whoever was inside must have heard it and I cursed my anxiety. I wanted to walk in calm, cool, collected, and very much different from the girl from the girl I used to be. Unfortunately, I could feel the old Bella crawling back from deep within, begging me to let my walls of resolve crumble away to the mess that was my comatose state. I gritted my teeth, steeling my breath as I took a step in.

And though I was expecting Edward, all I saw was my favorite little pixie, sitting quietly on my sofa, staring hard at me.

I didn't know what to say. What do you say to your best friend, who you haven't seen in 5 years? What do you say to the one person who could truly understand almost everything and see what your future held? She spoke first. I stood rigid in my spot, the situation too surreal to comprehend. Alice Cullen was sitting in my living room. She was really here.

"Bella… it's me, Alice."

Of course it's Alice. How could I forget? The moment that I saw her sitting there in that living room, all my negative thoughts washed away. Every piece of resentment of her leaving me in my heart melted and I could only feel love. They were back! And she was back with them! I didn't realize my feet were moving until I threw myself into her cold marble arms. Her bell-like laugh was so wonderful and I gripped her tighter. She stood with me in her arms and held me as tight as she could without breaking me.

"Oh, Bella. I've missed you so much!" she exclaimed, and I buried my face into her shoulder, breathing in the unmistakable scent of wild flowers and vanilla. Venom that would never fall welled into her eyes and we stood there, gripping each other for who knows how long.

"I'm so sorry we left Bella. Edward wouldn't let us contact you and I wanted to so much! I shouldn't have let him convince me that you were better off without us. I should have come sooner. I'm so sorry! We all are." She whispered as we finally let go of our embrace.

"I've already forgiven you. I forgave you all a long time ago. All but him." I replied shakily, nodding and flashing her a warm smile.

"You look fantastic Bella. You've grown so much." She said, taking my hands into her cold ones. She looked the same as she did 5 years ago. Beautiful, young, and golden eyed. Her spiky hair was styled more conservatively today, falling into silky strands around her ears and neck. She was the epitome of ethereal beauty.

"You're telling me that **I** look good? Please. You haven't changed a bit." I laugh and it was like old times again. She chastised me for my plain outfit and made a day to go shopping soon.

"How are the others?" I asked tentatively.

"They miss you, too. They wanted to come down here all together, but I saw that it would overwhelm you, so I went alone. Edward wanted to come with me, but that turned out disastrously." She commented matter-of-factly at the end.

I nodded in understanding. I probably would have blown up on him. Having extra time gave me a chance of settle my strong emotions and thoughts. It gave me extra time to work out what I would exactly say to him. There was so much to say.

"I'm happy you're back, Alice. I'm happy you're all back, but why now? I thought you guys were going to wait years before coming back here?"

"I'm sorry. We didn't want to barge in on you and interrupt the life you were starting, but… but I saw a vision. Victoria is back." She whispered, staring into my eyes to gauge my reaction. I hadn't thought of Victoria in years.

"Are you serious? She's coming back? Why now?" I ask in haste, my panic rising by the second.

"We don't know. I've been keeping tabs on her and watching her moves, but it seemed she was waiting for the right moment to attack. It's happening soon, Bella. Within the next few months. I've been seeing her making plans, but I don't know what they are yet. She hasn't made a solid decision in months. I only know that she _is _planning something and when she decides, we'll be ready. We're here to protect you and finally get rid of her and then, if you want, we will leave for good."

"Wait. You're coming to protect me, and then you're leaving again? What the fuck?" I ask angrily, standing from my spot.

"Of course not. Only if you want us too, Bella. We left once. We won't do that again to you. I refuse to leave you unless you send me away." She said, pulling me back down with a calm smile on her face. "Do you want me to leave?"

Of course not! I wanted her to stay. I couldn't lose any of them again. I shook my head and she smiled, pulling me into another hug.

"Good. Cause I would have stayed anyway." She laughed and kissed my forehead. "If you're up to it, the rest of the family would like to see you. Feel like a drive to the house?" she asked standing with me.

"Uh… yeah, sure. Is he going to be there?" I asked. Alice knew full well who 'he' was.

"Yes. You have to face him eventually, Bella."

"I know. There's just so much anger, Alice. I don't know if I can talk to him without screaming! He left me here, alone! He made you all leave! How am I supposed to forgive that?!"

"Find it in your heart, Bella. Edward, as stubborn and selfish as he is, loves you more than anyone in the world." She said with a pat on my back.

I sighed, nodding and shrugging as we headed out to the Volvo. "Why did you take Edwards car?" I asked.

"Oh. Mine is in need of service and Rosalie is fixing it right now. So I just took Edwards. Hope I didn't scare you too much when you saw it."

"It's fine. How are Rosalie and Emmett? I've missed them."

"Even Rosalie?"

"Hah. Yeah, even Rosalie."

"They're… fine. Separated, but fine."

"What?!"

"They've been together for 100 years, Bella. They aren't true mates. They know that and they both decided to split a couple years ago. Emmett and Rose were drifting apart anyway, and they both realize that they need to search for their true mates. They were just spending time together to fill the void the past 100 years. It's about time they find what they both need." She explained. I just couldn't understand it. Emmett and Rosalie were perfect together, from what I remembered. He was strong, burly, and incredibly handsome. She was more gorgeous than any woman I've ever seen. And I remember them flirting and kissing back when they were here. They were seemingly so in love.

"Don't worry Bella. Everything will fall into place. I've seen it."

"What do you mean 'you've seen it'?" I ask in curiosity and she smirks slyly at me as we begin our drive to the house.

"I can't tell you. Things will happen though, Bella. Just let them happen."

"Yeah, okay Alice." I sigh exasperatedly, and she only laughs at me and I can't help but find myself laughing with her. Maybe things weren't so awful after all. Maybe we could actually turn things around. I couldn't live through any more of them leaving again. Even Rosalie.

The roads become more familiar, the trees and wildlife rustling with the sounds of life. It was funny how even as we drove by in the car, the animals seemed to quiet for a moment knowing that a predator was in the car. I watched as squirrels and bunnies duck out of view as the car approached, then pop back out and stare as we drove down the road. A small smirk crossed my lips. Maybe one day they would be afraid of me, too. Even now, after all that I'd experienced, I still wanted to be changed. Maybe Alice could do it for me. I reminded myself to bring it up with her later.

The driveway was filled with very familiar cars and suddenly I was thrown back 5 years, the teenager me coming up the driveway to my birthday. The day of the "incident". Jasper was waiting outside as we pulled up.

I offered him a big grin, stepping out of the car and pulling him into a hug. He was rigid, his eyes narrowed in curiosity. "Hello, Bella." He murmured, returning my hug after a moment. He looked down at me while he held me, taking a deep breath before speaking. "Bella, I never got a chance to apologize for that night. I truly am sorry. I've learnt more control over the past 5 years, and if you are gracious enough to let me be in your presence, I hope that you can see I'm a much different man. I'm truly sorry, darlin'." He said in one swoop, waiting for my answer. Alice took his side, a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

"Jazz, what do you feel from me right now?" I asked him in reply.

"Strangely, I feel love and understanding. Why aren't you more afraid, Bella?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow in wonder.

"I forgave you that same night. It wasn't your fault, Jasper. It was no one's fault. You must have felt everyones bloodlust all at once when I cut my finger. How can I blame you for reacting? You handled yourself well. And I wholeheartedly forgive you. You're my brother, Jazz. I love you." I reply with a warm smile on my face, and Jasper quickly pulled me up into a tighter hug, Alice joining in as well.

"You're a curious one, Bella. You've changed these past years." He murmured quietly, but I'm sure they all heard it in the house, too. He must have come outside to give me a sense of false privacy.

"You know, everyone's been saying that, but I feel like the same old Bella."

"Bella, you're anything but the same old you. Besides, I've gotta keep those boys off you for sure, now. You're breathtaking." He winked. Alice giggled at my blush and we walked up to the house together.

"Damn vampires and their stupid perfectness." I grumble, pushing my way through the door.

Didn't I say I hated surprises? Well, this was another one. Balloons, streamers, cake, and the whole gang was in the living room, beaming smiles on their faces. It took my breath away. Carlisle and Esme were the first to hand out big hugs. I embraced them tightly. I almost forgot how fond I was of them. They were my second mother and father, so loving and endearing. Rosalie came forward next, a small smile on her lips.

"Look, Bella. I don't like you very much, and you don't like me very much… but I'll be civil. I'm glad to see you're okay after all." She said with a huff, giving me a tight handshake. I shook my head and laughed, pulling her hand forward and yanking her into me for a hug.

"Rosalie, I missed you too."

I almost missed the smile on her lips as she pulled us apart and sat down, picking at invisible dirt under her nails. Emmett came forward, a giant grin on his lips. Oh, my brother bear still looked exactly like he did the day of my birthday 5 years prior—incredibly muscled and irritatingly handsome. They all were, really. "Hey there, Bella! I missed you." He said with a sincere smile, pulling me into a tight hug. Strange, I'd never been this physically close to Emmett before. His body was rock solid like the others, but I could feel the muscle rippling beneath the surface of his hard skin. He really was built like a machine.

"Copping a feel, I see." He murmured into my ear. I blushed from head to toe and stuck out a tongue at him, laughing.

"Shut up."

"You've changed so much, but not at all. Gorgeous." He commented, a strange expression twisting onto his face before he straightened out and let me go. I dismissed it, too happy to question anything. I had my family back.

"Hello, love." A familiar voice called from behind me. I froze in my spot, not wanting to turn around. My eyes were pinned on anything but the voice behind me and I focused on Emmett's shirt since he was standing in front of me.

"Earth to Bella." He called as I zoned out from reality, his face leaning down to my level as he waved in my face. "Bells, are you okay?" he asked, his large cold hand shaking my shoulder. I took a long level breath and nodded before turning to face _him_.

"Edward." I said with as much dignity as possible. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to hug him. I didn't even want to touch him. I could feel my fury boiling beneath the façade of peace I was desperately trying to keep up. And suddenly, I felt calm. I turned to glance at Jasper and offered a small smile of gratefulness.

"Bella, you look beautiful." Edward whispered at a level I could barely hear. He could have shouted it and I still would be frozen here, trying to compose myself.

"We need to talk. Alone." I finally splutter, turning and heading towards the door and towards the Volvo. This was too much to handle at once, with everyone watching. I just couldn't do it. I could hear his soft footsteps behind me, following me to the car. I quickly climbed in, not looking at him as he followed suit and started to drive.

I recognized the road immediately and wanted to yell at him for deciding to come to our meadow. This wasn't fair. He was using this to his advantage. I glared down at my hands as we got out of the car and he led me to our secret place, where flowers bloomed and out love had blossomed. "Bella?" he asked timidly, reaching out and tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. I pulled away immediately. He took the hint, backing up a step and taking in an unnecessary breath.

"Why?" I asked, not knowing how to word my question.

"Because I needed to protect you, love. I needed to know you were safe at all times." He replied quickly, trying to explain his leaving.

"You left me alone, with no one to talk to about this. I had no one, Edward. No one who could understand the hurt that you left behind. You took your whole family from me and with it, you took my heart. I didn't have anything left to put back together. How could you think that it would be okay to take them all away from me? That it would be okay for you to take yourself away and then tell me that it would be as if you have never existed? You lied. And you didn't even give me a chance to say a proper goodbye to any of them. You left me in the middle of the fucking forest! And I looked for you Edward. I looked and called and you never came to me. Jake was the only person that could even try to comprehend what happened, and even then… he still couldn't understand."

"Bella, I'm so sorry. Please, let me explain why I did this and then we can go back to the way things used to be. So that Alice's vision won't come true! Please, let me—"

"No, fuck you! You listen to me! I've been denying that I've changed at all these past five years, but you just proved it to me. I'm definitely not the same girl, Edward. I'm so different. I've experienced college, dorm life, new friends, and a great education. I teach 1st graders that get glue in their hair and fall down and come to me when they cry. I've grown from a wimpy, clumsy teenage girl into a committed, confident woman. You know what I see when I look at you? A boy. A boy trying to pretend that breaking a girl's heart was okay and that things will just go back to normal. You may be hundreds of years old, Edward. But you will _always_ be a child."

And with that, I fled. I ran away from the man who left me broken, not an ounce or remorse in my heart for the words I yelled at him. I fled towards their house, knowing full well that it was miles away. I could feel my breath tightening in my chest as I ran, stopping for a moment to catch it and leaning against a tree.

I didn't know what I felt anymore. I sunk down to my knees there, in the middle of the forest, my face buried in my hands. And for the first time in three years, I cried over Edward. I cried over my hurt, his hurt, and for the Cullen's. How could things ever be the same again? I didn't even get a chance to have him explain the whole "Alice's vision" thing. It must have been about Victoria. I would ask her later. After a few minutes, I stood, wiped my nose, and slowly started my walk back to the house.

"Bella."

I turned my watery eyes to find Emmett standing right behind me, reaching out to brush away the last of my tears. "You want a ride back to the house?"

I nodded, not wanting him to hear my shaky voice.

"Climb on, woman." He demanded, a small smile on his lips as he kneeled down for me.

At least he got me to smile. I climbed onto his wide back, closing my eyes as I felt the familiar rush of wind from being carried on a vampire's back. Strange. Riding with Emmett was so different from riding with Edward. Emmett was slower than Edward, but so much more smooth in his course. There wasn't a lot of bouncing or jerking around. It felt like being in the car with the window down—comfy, and overall fun. By the time we reached the house, I was in better spirits, my laughter dying down as he slowed.

"Have fun?" he asked, lifting me easily from his back and placing me on my feet. I nodded. "He's just… a little stiff about everything right now. I'm sure things will sort themselves out soon, Bells. Don't worry. The old Bella and Edward will be back soon." He said in what was supposed to be a reassuring tone, but I could feel anger coming back up to the surface.

"Not likely." I snorted, sighing and stepping back into the house. "Is he here?" I asked. Emmett nodded, patting me on the back before stepping into the house after me.

"I just want to enjoy this reunion. No more fighting." I state to everyone sitting in the living room and they all nod. Edward was in the corner, his face in a tight grimace as he nodded and tried to remain neutral. I could tell it was killing him.

Esme approached me with a plate in hand.

"Cake?"

I took it with a smile and tucked into the cake, savoring in the sweet comfort of chocolate. "Esme, it amazes me that you don't eat and your cooking tastes like it came from the Gods."

And the ice was broken, everyone breaking into quiet laughter. I wondered then if things were every going to really be the same.

**A/N: So I wasn't really sure about the ending to this chapter. If I had gotten any deeper into the issues, it would have been a really long chapter, so I cut it off here. The rest will continue after this. I'm going to bring Emmett into the equation very slowly, so bear with me because I don't feel that making them fall in love in the first week is believable. Thanks for taking the time to read. Please review if you have a moment! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

The rest of the week flowed with relative smoothness. Alice came by daily after my classes were through and had already spent a couple nights over. We talked about the conversation with Edward in the meadow. She tried to comfort me as I continued to weep about Edward. I thought I'd gotten past this already, but reality was back to kick me in the ass. I wasn't over it and I definitely wasn't ready to forgive. Edward kept his distance the couple of times I'd stopped by after the initial reunion and the rest of the Cullen's seemed to fall right back into the same spots in my heart, a couple sidling even closer to me.

Rosalie and Jasper seemed to warm up to me so much faster this time around. Alice told me it was because of their loss of me for 5 years that they now didn't want to lose that friendship again. I could hardly call what we had before as 'friendships'. Of course I loved them, but Jasper and Rosalie had kept their distance before, hardly making contact unless absolutely necessary. Rosalie seemed to even go out of her way before to make my life harder. Now, she greeted me warmly and was slowly beginning to hold longer conversations with me. I couldn't be more thrilled that she wanted to be friends. Rosalie was loyal, if anything. Being on her good side meant I would always be under her protection, and she was a fierce protector. Jasper avoided me before for obvious reasons. My blood called to him and he was still trying to adjust to a vegetarian lifestyle. Since he'd grabbed a bit of control within the past few years, he was able to be around me longer and I assumed he wasn't as uncomfortable as before. It was such a relief.

Alice and I spoke about Victoria. She decided in was best for me to have someone over nightly to keep watch, which I felt was completely unnecessary, but none of them would take no for an answer. They all unanimously decided on keeping Alice over for half the week and to my surprise, Emmett volunteered himself for the remainder of the weeks. Alice would take Sunday through Tuesday and Emmett would take Wednesday through Saturday.

"Honestly, guys… this is too much. I don't want to keep you locked up with me while you still have lives to live. Well, sort of." I snorted at the end. I could hear Emmett snickering on the sofa next to me. "What about you, Alice? Don't you want to stay with Jasper nightly? Besides, I thought you said Victoria wouldn't make her move for a few months, at least. I don't want to intrude on your personal lives…"

"Same old Bella, thinking about the sex lives of others before her own life." Emmett laughed out of the corner, the rest of the family following suit. I flushed, hands on my hips and holding my head up high.

"Bella, it's fine, really. Jasper agreed to have me over for half the week. Besides, Emmett is taking the bulk of the week, really. It's totally fine."

"No, it's not! I don't want to rip you away from your husband." I pouted, shaking my head. "Visiting me daily is one thing, but staying over all the time for my protection is another. Why don't I just keep Emmett and someone who isn't married? Edward, maybe?" I asked, trying to keep the cringe out of my voice.

Edward, who was perched on the sofa next to Emmett, sat a little straighter. I could tell he was excited to get a little closer. I was trying to be civil, to learn how to forgive, but it was difficult. I figure a little more time with him would allow me to reconnect.

"It would be plausible. The couples would be able to stay together. Emmett and Edward are also our two best fighters, aside from Jasper. Unless you're uncomfortable with it, Bella. Are you okay with this?" Carlisle chimed in, his arm wrapped around Esme's shoulders. I nodded, offering a small smile.

"It's the least I can do to keep you guys together. I wouldn't want to separate any of you from each other. It would be best to keep uncommitted members of the family with me at night. It would be less of a distraction, anyway. I know if I took anyone else they would be thinking of their mates. I couldn't do that to any of you. I love you all." I reply, the last sentence coming out in a whisper.

"Oh, my sweet Bella. We love you, too. How did you ever become such a caring individual? We're so lucky to have you, honey." Esme crooned, coming forward and wrapping me into a hug. I laughed, returning her cool hug.

"Okay, guys… the human needs to sleep. It's getting late." I murmur, glancing at the clock by my dining room. "Today's Wednesday. You good to stay, Em?" I ask, flashing him a toothy grin. He returned it, nodding.

"Yeah, Bells. I'll hang out down here. Go ahead and get to bed."

They all turned to leave, heading out the door. I felt a cool hand on my shoulder and turned to face whoever it was. Edward's golden eyes met mine and I sighed, shaking my head. "Another night, Edward? I'm beat." I admit, pulling away from his touch.

"I understand, Bella. I just wanted to thank you for giving me an opportunity to explain. For giving me another chance. So… thank you." He said with a formal nod. I could tell he was trying hard not to reach out and touch me. A pang of guilt rushed through me and I gritted my teeth, sighing heavily.

"You're welcome. I'll see you Sunday. Good night, Edward."

"Goodnight, Bella."

And then he left. I let go of the breath I was holding as I watched him walk out the door.

"Awkward." Emmett squawked, suddenly right next to me. I jumped, nearly falling over against the steps behind me. He reached out with lightning fast hands and held me upright, his face twisted in humor as he tried not to laugh.

"Oh, screw you!" I laughed, smacking him across his muscled chest. Ouch. I winced, rubbing at my hand before sticking out my tongue and heading upstairs to get changed.

"You wish, baby!" he called after me and I shook my head, smiling at his booming laughter downstairs. At least I had a few days before I had to face Edward again, and Emmett definitely wasn't bad company. I felt so at ease with him, even before they left those years ago. Emmett was my brother and a dear friend. Our friendship was so effortlessness and I couldn't help but feel grateful that he volunteered himself. I then wondered if it was to get away from Rosalie. They seemed like they were on good terms whenever I saw them, but who really knew? I didn't want to pry. He would tell me if he felt like it.

I settled quickly, hopping into the shower and digging through my drawers for some pajamas. My eyes narrowed as I dug deeper and deeper, searching for my favorite holey t-shirt and baggy sweats, but they were nowhere to be found. Instead, I pulled out a matching set of silk shorts and tank. They were emerald green and looked so very expensive. "Alice!" I hissed, glaring down at the silky set in my hands. I dug through my drawers one last time, but it seemed that Alice had somehow managed to toss out all of my old clothes and replaced them with newer, much more expensive, and sexier versions. "Fuck." I cursed, quickly pulling on the emerald set and slamming my drawer shut.

A quiet knock roused me out of my irritation. "Bella, you okay?" Emmett asked from outside my door.

"Yeah, come in. Alice took the liberty of replacing all my clothes." I replied through gritted teeth, sighing heavily and turning away from the door and towards my vanity, picking up a brush and running it quickly through my damp hair.

"Sounds like Alice to me." He said as he popped his head in. I almost didn't catch his eyes flash over my backside and I wish I had put a robe on. "You look great, Bells. You've uh… grown. Longer legs, I see. Green does you justice."

I flushed, shrugging. "Only grew an inch. Don't think I'll be getting any taller. You jealous I might get bigger than you?" I jabbed, grinning slyly at him before taking a seat on my bed.

"Bigger than these?" he asked, now fully stepped inside my room and flexing an arm. I watched as the muscle pulsed under his skin, sinewy and strong. Good lord, he had some guns. I flushed at the thought, laughing and throwing a pillow at him which he caught with ease and tossed back at me.

"Quiet, you show off. Human has to work in the morning, remember?" I reminded, climbing under my covers and shutting off the lamp by my desk. "You don't have to stay, Emmett. You're welcome to hunt around the apartment or just you know… hang out and watch T.V. I don't need a babysitter."

"I know, Bella. Don't worry. I'll be around. Just call if you need me." He replied with a grin, turning and heading out of the room. I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

Oh my God, I need a new alarm clock. I groaned in frustration as it wailed repeatedly at me, the alarm blaring noisily on my nightstand. "Fuck." I hissed, slamming my hand down on the 'off' button and sitting up, thoroughly annoyed. This was already a bad morning.

"Bella, you up?" Emmett called from outside my door and I yelped in surprise. I'd forgotten he was here!

"Uh, yeah! Be out in a sec." I replied in my croaky morning voice, sighing heavily as I went to brush my teeth and get into a decent outfit for school.

Alice had conveniently hung up full outfit sets for school, allowing me to easily choose one. They were all appropriate, full of pencil skirts and button up blouses, though some were more sheer than I was used to. I shrugged as I pulled on a slim fitting charcoal colored pencil skirt with a sheer dark green button up blouse with pretty flowing sleeves. I noticed a lot of my new outfits seemed to have plenty of green in them. Did Alice purposely choose this much green on purpose? I'd have to ask her. I sighed, pulling on a pair of comfy ballet flats and headed downstairs, Emmett already waiting with a set of keys and a toasted bagel in hand.

"Wait, you're driving me to work? Why?"

"Got nothin' better to do. I figure I'll just stay here and keep an eye out. It's not like they need me back at the house anyway. You look nice, by the way." He said with a quick look over at the new outfit, pushing the bagel into my hand with a steaming to-go cup of coffee, just the way I like it. His eyes lingered on my face though, eyeing me with the same strange expression he had on the day of the reunion.

"Uh, well… thanks. But you know, you don't have to stay and drive me around everywhere, Em. It's fine." I said, eyes closing in wonder as I took a sip of the heavenly coffee and a nibble out of the toasty bagel filled with cream cheese.

"That good?" he asked, ignoring my question completely as he watched me eat in interest.

"Mmhmm." I reply through a full bite of the bagel. He cringed, taking a sniff of what he had made for me.

"What does it smell like to you?" I asked, also taking a whiff of the hazelnut flavored coffee.

"Dirty nuts." He replied in honesty and I laughed at his blatancy, finding it so very refreshing.

"Appealing, Emmett." I reply, taking a long sip of coffee before finishing off the bagel and heading out the door with him. "Thanks for breakfast."

"Yup." He replied cheerfully. His jeep was sitting in my driveway and I headed over to the passenger side, wondering how the hell I was supposed to get up there in a skirt. I didn't even get a chance to try. Emmett was behind me faster than I could blink and he had me lifted up into the seat with incredible ease, his hands cool and tingling against my warm skin. "Upsy daisy!"

I suddenly remember how much I missed being in vampires arms. Edward and Emmett did have one thing in common: cold, hard skin that felt incredible against mine. I reached for the multiple seat belts, not even knowing where to begin. Emmett watched me with amused eyes as I tried to put the belts together to no avail. "Bella, Bella, Bella." He sighed, grinning as he leaned over me and quickly strapped me in with agile fingers. As he was leaned over me, I found myself leaning in to breath in his scent. We weren't touching, but I was sure he could feel my breath against his neck.

He smelled incredible. I knew that each vampire smelled different. Alice smelled like vanilla and wildflowers, Edward smelled like rain and freshly mown grass, Rosalie smelled like what I could only describe as a supermodel's perfume, Esme and Carlisle smelled like warmth and honey, and Jasper like gunpowder and brown sugar. But Emmett… Emmett smelled like a well-worn leather jacket and melting dark chocolate. It was seductive and by far my favorite out of all of them. How could vampires smell so damn good? I wondered if I would smell that good if I was changed. I took another long breath as he pulled away, a knowing grin on his face.

"Ready?" he asked and I was glad that if he knew, he wasn't giving anything away. I would be mortified if he thought I was some creeper just sniffing on people all the time.

"Yeah." I replied, and we were on our way.

"So I always pegged you as a teacher. How are your classes going?" he asked, making easy conversation on the way to class. His open topped car allowed wind to whoosh through my hair and I smiled, enjoying the feeling of the cold wind slapping against my face. It reminded me of Emmett's ride through the forest on his back.

"They're good. The kids are great and I have a good time for the most part."

"Good. I'm glad you're happy." He said with complete honesty and I faltered for a moment. Emmett was surprising me with every turn. One moment he was joking and laughing, another he was seriously one of the most sincere people I'd ever met. I always remember Emmett as someone that could turn anything into a joke (and I'm sure he could), but never as someone that could also be so easy to talk to. I was glad to be able to get to know him like this. Everything felt good for now with Emmett, me, and our easy conversations.

He dropped me off and I was able to get out of the seatbelts and the seat without too much difficulty. "See you after work." I grinned, waving and heading into class.

I smiled happily at the kids as they all filed in, chatting to each other and completely oblivious to the real world outside. I think that's what I loved so much about these kids. They had their own world where imaginary things became real—where they could be anything they wanted, do anything they wanted, and not have to worry about the realities of life. How I wish I could hide in there with them sometimes.

Emmett was prompt when picking me up, but he allowed me to climb into the seat and belt myself this time. "Don't want the kiddies thinking I'm raping their teacher." He whispered and I flushed at his words, smacking his arm as I strapped myself in much more slowly that he did that morning.

"Miss Swan! Miss Swan!" Katherine called me from the sidewalk, waving her cute little hand in the air. "Who's dat?" she asked, pointing blatantly at a grinning Emmett. "He's a biggg man!" she commented matter-of-factly and I could practically feel Emmett's chest swell beside me.

"He's my friend, Kat. He's picking me up today so I can go home!" I replied cheerfully, reaching down to fix her drooping hat.

"Oooh. Like duh busman takes me home?" she asked and I nodded.

"Exactly, sweetie. Hurry, the bus might leave without you!" I warned, pushing her towards the bus. "See you tomorrow, Kat."

She scurried away quickly, nearly tripping on her way over.

"Cute little bugger." Emmett murmured, watching her hurry away.

"Yeah. She's one of my favorites."

"Uh oh. You're picking favorites already? Remind me never to let my future non-existent children into your class. I bet those other kids have to suffer your wrath all day." He snickered as we drove home.

"Shut up Emmett." I grinned, and we were back to our playful bickering and snide comments. This day suddenly became so much brighter.

**A/N: And there's Chapter 3. I hope you enjoyed. Please review if you have a moment to spare. Thanks. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**A/N: I'm posting this up so quickly after Chapter 3 because I won't be able to post tomorrow. Hope you guys enjoy and if you have a moment, please review. It gives me a lot of motivation. Also a quick thanks to you guys for the favorites and follows. They really do get me through my day. **

I couldn't believe how quickly this week had passed with Emmett. Wednesday through Saturday flew by with ease and we fell into a comfortable routine. I would wake up, he would be ready with breakfast (which I'm still amazed at) and coffee, he would proceed to drive me to school, and then pick me up afterwards. Katherine seemed to like him, always stopping by his jeep right after class and waving to the 'big man' before leaving on the bus. She really was my favorite. At night while I slept, Emmett hunted in the woods nearby my apartment. His eyes were always such a smoldering gold in the mornings when I woke.

I said nothing when he lifted me into the jeep each morning, regardless of whether I was wearing pants or a skirt. I didn't want to admit that I enjoyed the closeness with Emmett. It wasn't romantic, but he was just being such a close friend to me that it was expected now. It just wasn't the same if he didn't strap me in every morning. It didn't seem to bother him either, even though I knew that he knew I was taking secret sniffs of his vampire cologne every day. I would miss that when he was switched out with Edward.

I got a couple calls from Charlie and Jake through those days to check up on me. I ensured them I was fine. Jake and the pack was already fully informed of the threat to come. They agreed when the day came, forces would be joined to take down Victoria once and for all. Charlie, on the other hand, was still oblivious to this life and that's how I wanted to keep it. No need to taint his life with the supernatural. He seemed to enjoy things the simple way. I made plans to have dinner with him the following Monday night at my place. He didn't seem thrilled to know Edward would be there and I didn't really know how I felt anymore.

Saturday night rolled along, our last night together until the following Wednesday. We'd spent the bulk of the day watching movies on the couch while I graded the kids' homework. We went through all the Fast and Furious movies at Emmett's request. Alice called him midday to remind him of the switch. He talked with her for a few minutes in ridiculously soft tones that I obviously wasn't meant to hear.

"Everything okay?" I asked as he clicked the phone shut.

"Yeah. Just making sure Edward keeps his cool while he's here, that's all. The only person allowed to yell is you." He chuckled and I smiled at his protectiveness. Big brother, all right.

Usually I prepped dinner when I got home from work, but tonight he surprised me with spaghetti and garlic bread dinner with wine. He must have been cooking it while I was grading. I didn't even realize until I smelled food wafting through to the living room. Again, Emmett never failed to surprise me at every new turn.

"You really didn't have to, Em."

"You won't see me 'til next Wednesday. Gotta make sure I leave on a good note, otherwise you'll switch me out with Rosalie." he joked quietly, but there was an edge in his voice.

"Emmett, you don't actually think I'd actually switch you out like you're an old pair of shoes, do you?" I asked, eyeing him suspiciously. He grinned, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. They averted down to the spaghetti. My eyes narrowed and I approached him, putting my finger under his strong jaw and pushing up. Like hell I could actually push him up to look at me, but he took the hint. His bright golden eyes watched me with an intensity I'd never seen before and I lost my thoughts for a moment.

"You're my friend Emmett. I daresay you're one of my closest friends now that we've have a proper chance to get to know each other. Don't you dare ever think that I would trade you for anyone else. I want you here, Emmett. You. Fancy dinner or not, you can't get away from me!" I joked at the end, pulling him into a tight hug. My arms could barely get around his middle.

I felt him shake with chuckles and he kissed the top of my head. I'd never been kissed anywhere by Emmett before. I decided I liked it. "Thanks, Bells. You're one of my best friends, too. Now eat that shit so I don't have to smell it anymore." He cracked at the end, flashing me a pearly white grin that met his eyes. I took the chance to take a really good look at him now. I'd never been able to get up close and personal with Emmett before. Best do it while he's distracted joking with me.

He was so different from Edward and so similar at the same time. Their skin was the same—shimmering in sunlight and rock hard to the touch, but Emmett's features were so different from Edwards. His jaw was stronger, more pronounced, and made his smiles seem so much bigger than they actually were. His hair was dark, thick, and curly. I'd never touched it before, but I suddenly wanted to. It looked so deliciously soft. I wondered if it was softer than Edward's hair. Edward often ran a little gel through his tresses so it was always hard for me to touch it. And his eyes, oh his eyes. Emmett's eyes held so much expression. I felt like I could always tell what he was feeling just by looking into those smoldering eyes. Jesus, Bella. Creepy, much? Ugh.

"The flies are laying eggs in your mouth."

His comment snapped me out of my stalkerish concentration on his face and I flushed, taking a seat at the dining table. I tucked into dinner, savoring the delicious tomato sauce and toasty garlic bread on the side. The wine was fantastic. I wondered if every vampire could cook as well as the Cullen family. "This is great, Em." I muttered through a mouthful of bread.

"Of course it is. I touched it." He joked, taking a seat across from me and opening a Sports Illustrated magazine. I rolled my eyes and we continued our way through dinner in companionable silence. It was nice to not have to fill the silence with mindless chatter. I'd always felt that way with Edward and even Alice. There was never comfortable silence with anyone but Charlie… and now, Emmett.

The night winded down slowly and the wine was getting to me. What was this, my third glass? I didn't really remember. I groaned in my seat, my head feeling a little fuzzy.

"Is the human drunk?" I heard Emmett ask in an amused voice beside me and I shrugged.

"A little tipsy."

"You ever get drunk in college, Bella?"

"A couple times at some parties. Don't remember much."

"Oh, you're a blackout drunk. That's hot." He snickered and I reached out to him, smacking his arm when I felt a brick wall against my hand.

"Shuddup. I'm tired."

"Here, I'll walk you up, klutz."

"Mmhmm." I agreed, leaning against him as he pulled me upstairs and into my room. His cold hands felt incredible against my overheated skin. I recognized my room, heading towards the bathroom and mindlessly brushing my teeth. I wondered if he was still in the room. I hadn't heard him leave, but he was nearly silent on his feet.

He was still there. I walked out to find him slouched on the edge of my bed, his weight pulling the mattress down slightly. "You okay?" he asked. Sincere Emmett was back. I liked Sincere Emmett, I decided. I sluggishly nodded, pulling open my drawer and digging through for something to wear. I'd gone through a lot of silk pajamas lately, all thanks to Alice. I had to admit they were comfy to sleep in, but didn't really keep the chill off. I sighed as I pulled out a pair of comfy looking black yoga pants and a plain t-shirt all the way in the back of the drawer. Maybe she'd forgotten these.

I went back into the bathroom and shrugged into them, sighing in relief at the feel of cotton against my skin. That's the good old me I remember.

"Okay, Bella. Get over here." Emmett called as I stepped out, my whole body still tingling with the buzz from the wine. I smiled, padding over to the bed and climbing into it as Emmett got off. The mattress shifted back up from the loss of his weight. He pulled the blanket up close against me, tucking it under my chin. Strange, he'd never tucked me in any other night he was here. I decided I liked this too.

"Night, Bells. Edward will be here in a few minutes to take over. See you Wednesday?"

"Mmhmm. Night Em. I had a great time."

"Me too, Bella." He whispered, leaning down and pecking my forehead before turning and leaving, flicking out the light on the way. I drifted off to sleep as soon as I heard the door click shut.

Sunday morning was quiet and beautiful. I opened my eyes to bright rays of sunlight filtering through my window. Something sparkled out of the corner of my eye, and I turned to greet Emmett. "Hey, Em." I groaned, stretching in my bed.

"Good morning, love." Edward voiced back to me. I shot up, pulling the covers with me and tangling my legs into the sheets. I'd forgotten that they had switched last night. Oddly, it felt strange to have Edward sitting in the room without my consent. I'd never been bothered by Emmett coming in to wake me in the mornings.

"Um… good morning. Sorry. I forgot." I mumbled as I moved to stand, only to fall face first towards the floor due to my tangle in the sheets. Cool hands caught me before I could fall and I was wafted with Edward's familiar scent. It reeled me back to the times he'd held me tight during the night… back to times when things were so much simpler. I didn't want my heart to pulse with hurt and longing, but I couldn't help it.

"Are you alright?" he asked, releasing me as soon as I righted myself.

"Yeah." I grumbled back, slightly irritated. "Thanks."

I headed straight into the bathroom and brushed my teeth, hopping into the shower afterwards. I hoped he would leave the room as soon as I got out, and thank God he did. I sighed heavily, quickly brushing my hair and changing into the most comfy pair of designer jeans I could find and a green blouse. I slapped on a little makeup quickly and also brushed out my hair, frowning at myself in the mirror. I was putting on a little weight with all the junk I'd been eating lately. I wondered if anyone could tell.

I let out another sigh and turned to my door, preparing to face Edward who was undoubtedly waiting downstairs for me. I could already smell the eggs and toast waiting for me. I headed down, greeting him with the warmest smile I could muster. "Thanks for breakfast."

"You're welcome. You look radiant Bella." he started, pausing for a moment before adding a last comment. "I thought your favorite color was blue."

"No, your favorite color is blue. And I didn't know Alice would stock my wardrobe full of green. Is Alice's favorite color green? " I asked nonchalantly, shrugging as I watched his expression change into a slight scowl.

"You look beautiful in every color. You're right. I'm partial to blue. And no, it's not. Alice likes yellow."

I smiled at his compliment, taking a seat at the table and taking a sip of the coffee he'd prepped for me. It wasn't the same as Emmett's prep. He'd used cinnamon instead of hazelnut and there was too little sugar. He eyed me as I reached for the sugar and I watched him war against himself at chastising me for eating unhealthily. I remember him always nagging at me to eat better. He kept his mouth shut. Smart.

"What are you plans for the day?" he asked instead, taking a seat across from me, his handsome face unreadable.

"I'm not sure. I finished all my grading yesterday while Emmett was here. I guess I don't have anything important to do. Tomorrow night Charlie is stopping by for dinner, though. Thought I'd give you fair warning. He won't be pleasant."

"Of course. I understand."

Edward had grimaced slightly when I mentioned Emmett. Whoa. Was there something wrong? I hope there wasn't an issue with Emmett staying here. Edward had always been so jealous. First of Jake, and now Emmett? And Emmett wasn't even a love interest! "Everything okay?" I asked timidly, taking a bite out of the eggs. Maybe it was nothing, after all. I hoped so.

"Bella, Emmett doesn't have the best control around humans. I think you might be safer with Rosalie here instead. She's single too, so it wouldn't be pulling anyone apart. Would you mind?"

I fumed for a moment, shoving another bite of egg in my mouth to stifle the retort that was threatening to spill from my lips. I took my time chewing and swallowing as I came up with an answer that wouldn't scare him off.

"What makes you think that Emmett can't be around me? He hunted every night while he was here and he didn't seem to be uncomfortable around me." I said in the lightest tone possible, not wanting this to escalate into an argument so early in the morning.

"Bella—"

"I'm comfortable around Emmett, Edward. Rosalie is my friend, yes. But we've had a rocky past. I don't know how comfortable I would feel with her around all the time. Our relationship still needs work before we can really be comfortable. That's probably why she didn't volunteer herself when this situation came up. I wouldn't want her to be uncomfortable either. You understand, don't you?" I cut him off mid-sentence, my retort spilling out anyway. I sighed heavily, lifting my eyes to meet his.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap." I whispered afterwards. He shook his head, his cool hand coming forward to rest on mine.

"Of course not Bella. I don't blame you for being on edge. I… I understand. I'll endure the thought of him here for half the week."

I bristled slightly at that, too. Endure? Was it really so difficult to believe that Emmett could have some semblance of control? He wasn't all brawn and no brain. Emmett was incredibly intelligent and no one ever gave him credit for it. I ignored his last comment, finishing off breakfast.

"Want to watch a movie?" Edward suggested, trying to break the tension.

"Okay. You pick."

"What did Emmett pick?"

"The Fast and Furious series."

Edward chuckled slightly. "Sounds like him."

"Yup." I replied in a lighter tone. I guess we could talk about the important stuff later. This peace was delicate and neither of us seemed to want to breach it, but there was one question that I had to ask Edward.

"Edward, that day in the meadow…"

"Yes, Bella?"

"You mentioned something about Alice having a vision you didn't want to come true. What was that?"

He paused for a moment, debating inwardly. Was it really so awful? My mind reeled at the thought of Victoria. Was she coming sooner? Was something bad going to happen? I could feel my panic rise and my heart thump faster and faster in my chest.

"Bella, don't panic, please!" Edward said, pulling me down onto the sofa with him. I sat beside him, my eyes wide.

"Is it Victoria?" I asked softly, my lower lip trembling in fear.

"No. It's not Victoria. It's something else. It's not really that relevant."

"Then you shouldn't mind telling me. Don't keep things from me, Edward." I sighed, pulling a throw from the couch over my cold feet. I could hear the soft pitter patter of rain beginning outside. Edward paused again, his eyes roaming over my face as he continued his inner debate.

"Alice had a vision of you and someone else getting very close. I just… I didn't want it to happen."

"You mean romantically close?"

"She doesn't know yet. She sees you getting very close to someone, though. Someone that I'm not comfortable with you being around all the time. You and this 'someone' become nearly inseparable, Bella. I'm sorry. My jealousy got the better of me. But Alice also said there's a chance for us, too. So I'm here to fight for you, Bella, regardless of who else is in the picture. "

I paused and thought for a moment. "Is it Emmett?" I asked curiously and I watched as Edwards eyes flash black in anger. Yup, it was definitely Emmett. But I didn't really feel romantically involved with Emmett. He was my friend and more my brother than anything, really.

"Edward. Emmett is my friend and my brother. Besides, you even said it yourself. Alice doesn't know if it's romantic. It's probably just like my relationship with her. I'm always hugging her and she's always kissing my forehead and stuff. It's nothing, really." I replied and I watched him sink back into the sofa, still not convinced. Why was I trying to convince him anyway?

"I'm not asking you to fight for me Edward. I don't know if I _want_ you to fight for me. There's still too much hurt to even consider that right now. I still love you, Edward, but I just don't love you the same way anymore."

Edward's eyes lowered in pain and he stood up, moving towards the movies and plucking one out of the stack before replying. "I understand, Bella. Don't worry. I don't plan on making any moves unless you feel comfortable with it."

"Does Emmett know about the vision?" I ask as I watch the opening to 'The Pianist' begin.

"No."

"Good. Don't tell him. I don't want to scare him off because he thinks there might be some possibility of anything more than friendship."

Edward nodded stiffly before taking a seat next to me on the sofa, neither of us really even watching the movie.

**A/N: Aaaand here's Chapter 4. Thanks for reading, hope you liked it. Updates will be a little bit slower from here on out I think, so please bear with me when I stop updating daily! I'll try and get out a chapter twice a week. Please review if you have a spare moment. Thanks. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Dislcaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

Monday rolled by much more slowly than I would have hoped. Edward and I did speak, but it was of nothing important. I think staying on neutral ground like work and the weather would be best to ease into the deeper conversations I knew we needed eventually. Edward didn't seem to mind. He was the same calm and cool Edward I still remembered. He'd flashed that crooked smile I loved so much during Sunday dinner and I could have sworn I felt those walls around my heart crumbling more. Damn him.

He drove me to work Monday morning in his silver Volvo and of course the radio was on the love song station. I glared at it before quickly changing the station to something more upbeat.

"I thought you liked that station." He commented, glancing over at me with his peripherals. He was always watching me, it seemed.

"I do. But not right now." I murmured quietly before leaning my head back on the headrest. He stayed quiet.

"I'll pick you up after work. Have a good day, Bella." He called after me as I stepped out of the car. I nodded, closing the door and heading into class. Today was a hectic day. I was just starting in on the alphabet with the kids and they were lacking in attention today. Even Kat seemed a little bit distracted. They chatted to each other excitedly about what they had done over the weekend. I wish I could join them. I smiled as Kat told me about how her parents had taken her to the zoo.

"That's great, sweetie. Did you see all the animals there?"

"Yeah! Momma and Papa show me duh animals! They was pretty!" she chirped back. Her happiness was infectious.

"They showed you the animals. They were pretty." I corrected her grammar and she repeated after me.

The day dragged on slowly, rain picking up outside. We had to have recess inside today, which was always a drag for both me and the kids. They wanted to play and I desperately needed some alone time. I asked another teacher to watch them for five minutes while I went on a quick snack break. During that time, Emmett called. I picked up quickly, quickly trying to chew through an apple as I answered.

"Hey, Em." I said as I picked up. It was good to hear from him. I found myself wondering the night before about Alice's vision. Emmett and I were definitely good friends and there was a point where I saw him as a brother. But now I wasn't so sure. There wasn't anything romantic between us, but I felt like the sibling line was blurred heavily once Edward told me about the vision. Could there possibly be more? I didn't even know if I wanted more. Things could get really sticky.

"Hey, Bella. Miss me already?" he asked, his husky voice teasing on the other end of the line. I smiled. I really did miss him.

"Maybe. How are things at home?" I asked, taking another bite of apple.

"Good. I just wanted to check up to make sure Eddie boy is behaving."

"He's been great, actually. He hasn't been… suffocating, you know? We still haven't really spoken about anything of importance yet. I'm scared to bring it up because I know it's going to explode into a fight."

"I know. If anything, I can always come over during his time there too, Bells. I don't mind."

"I know, Em. Thanks for calling." I reply, sighing and running a hand through my curls.

"Anytime, Bells. Oh, here's Alice." He said, handing the phone over to the little pixie I was missing dearly.

"Bella? I miss you!" She chirped on the phone. I could hear the smile in her voice.

"I miss you too, Alice. Hey, why don't you come over tomorrow night and hang with me and Edward?"

"I've already picked out the nail polish and movie snacks for you!" she replied excitedly and I laughed at her enthusiasm.

"Hey, we need to talk about this wardrobe thing too! Among other things…" I add at the end, hoping she'd get the hint. I needed to talk to her about this vision she was having about me and Emmett. She got it.

"I know, Bella. Don't worry. We'll talk tomorrow. Good night, sis." She said before hanging up Emmett's phone. I had a buttload of questions for her and I couldn't wait for Tuesday night now.

By the time class was over, I was drained. Kat followed me still to the car, expecting to find Emmett in his jeep ready to wave at her. Instead, Edward stood outside the car, opening the door for me.

"Miss Swan! Where is duh big man Emmett?" Kat asked and I smiled at her, fixing her seemingly always crooked hat.

"He's going to be back on Wednesday sweetie. This is Edward. He's also my friend and he's very nice." I replied. She eyed Edward warily, but I gave her the 'warning' look that the class had come to know as the 'time out' look.

"Hello." She said shyly and Edward kneeled next to her, that famous crooked smile on his lips.

"Hi. What's your name?" he asked, reaching out to shake her small hand.

"Katherine." She replied in a stronger voice. "You're very cold." She added in at the end. I chuckled in my seat as I watched them. That's why I loved children. There was absolutely no filter.

"I know. I had the air conditioning running." Edward replied quickly.

"But it's raining, mister."

She was a sharp one.

"You're very smart. Miss Swan must be a good teacher." Edward replied, quickly changing the subject. Kat nodded, a wide grin spreading over her toothy smile.

"Yeah, Miss Swan teach me a lot!" she replied before the bus drivers horn honked for her. "Bye Miss Swan! Bye cold man!"

"Bye, honey." I called after her, watching as she ran to the bus and climbed into it.

"She's adorable." Edward commented as we began our drive home. I nodded, smiling.

"Very."

When we arrived, I went straight to the shower to freshen up for Charlie's arrival for dinner. I found myself lingering under the hot spray for a few minutes more, my head leaned against the wall as I tried to figure out how this dinner would go. Things were already tense between Edward and I, but between Edward and Charlie? Dinner could go very badly. They both needed to be civil. I decided to talk to Edward as soon as I was dressed.

I picked out a pair of jeans and a plain t shirt, quickly running a brush through my hair and slapping on some lipgloss before heading down stairs to face Edward.

My eyebrows knitted together in confusion as I watched him cooking in the kitchen. "You're making us dinner?" I asked, peering over his shoulder at the mushroom ravioli sautéing in a delicious smelling cream sauce.

"Of course. I always used to make you dinner." He replied with a smile, lifting the spoon up for me to try. I shrugged, taking a little bit off the end. It was almost exact from the ravioli I'd had during our first dinner together in that quaint restaurant in Port Angeles.

"It's good." I comment, wondering why he would choose something so sentimental even after all these years. I was thoroughly confused.

"Charlie will be here in five minutes." He said, taking a glance at his phone. Alice must have texted him.

"Okay. Do me a favor, Edward. Charlie won't be in the best of moods with you. Please just behave tonight. Let him get it out." I ask softly, taking a seat in the dining area and pouring myself a glass of wine. Edward eyed me, once again debating on whether I should be drinking or not. Technically, I was damn well old enough too. I was already physically older than him now and it surprised me how little it bothered me now. I used to be so hung up on being changed before I became too physically old to look okay with Edward. Now, I could hardly care though I still wanted the change eventually.

"I understand. I'll be the perfect gentleman."

"You always are." I chuckle, taking a long sip of wine before the doorbell rang.

"Bells?" I heard Charlie call from outside. I headed to the door, Edward hanging back in the kitchen to give us some space, I assumed.

"Bella, you look gorgeous." Charlie complimented as I opened the door. He pulled me into a tight hug which I returned with fervor. "I miss you, kid."

"Me too, dad." I whisper into his ear before letting him go. I almost didn't see the shadow behind him move slightly.

"I brought a surprise!" he said with a smile and my mouth dropped slightly when Jake popped out, waving brightly.

"Miss me, Bells?" he asked, also pulling me into a searing embrace.

"O-Of course! I didn't know you'd be coming. What a surprise!" I laugh, patting his back and pushing him towards the door. "Come in, come in. Let's get out of the rain."

"Edward." Charlie said tersely as he eyed the vampire plating food in the corner.

"Chief Swan, Jacob. You both look well." He said with a forced smile and I reached over to pour Charlie and Jacob each a glass of wine. Maybe a little alcohol would loosen them up a little. They both took it gratefully, each taking a seat at the table.

Dinner was delicious, but still tense.

"This is really good, Bells." Charlie commented, taking a large bite of his ravioli.

"Edward made it, actually." I reply with a polite smile. Charlie slows slightly, his smile faltering.

"So what is this? You two back together? Cause I won't stand to see my daughter hurt again, boy." Charlie asked bluntly, crossing his arms and giving Edward a hard glare.

"I second that." Jake motioned, still digging into the food.

"I understand absolutely, Charlie. What I did was unforgiveable and I promise you that we are just friends right now. I have no intention of leaving again." Edward replied quickly and the tension heightened immeasurably.

"Guys, this is not appropriate dinner talk. Please." I cut in, pouring myself another glass of wine and refilling both Charlie's and Jake's.

"Yeah. Okay, Bells." Charlie replied, and that was the end of that.

The rest of the night flowed with relative smoothness. We made small talk about work and how well things were going for me. Jake and Leah were doing very well, as were Charlie and Sue Clearwater. I couldn't be happier for them. They left an hour later in much better moods though they still both gave Edward hard glares as they left.

I sank back into the sofa, sipping the last of my third glass of wine and breathing a sigh of relief. I could feel the slight buzz and warmth in my skin as the wine settled in. "Thank God that's over."

"You're telling me." Edward replied, leaning against the door frame and eyeing me with concern.

"Are you alright, love? Let me help you upstairs." He offered, but I waved my hand in dismissal.

"It's fine. I'm just going to go to bed now. I'm tired. By the way, Alice is stopping by tomorrow night to hang out. She's bringing nail polish and snacks and stuff." I replied quietly, standing and stretching my back as Edward took the wine glass from my hand.

"Sounds like fun. Have a good night, Bella. Sweet dreams." He whispered, standing still in his spot.

"Thanks for dinner, Edward." I reply before turning and heading towards the stairs only to be caught by a cold hand on my wrist. I turned, expecting Edward to ask me something. Instead, his cool lips met my forehead. I didn't know what to do. It wasn't unpleasant, but I didn't know if I should be okay with it.

"Anytime, Bella." He whispered against my skin and I pulled away, not meeting his eyes as I fled upstairs. Oh yeah, I was definitely confused.

**A/N: How would you guys feel about a chapter or two in Emmetts or Edwards POV? Would you prefer me to stay in Bella's POV at all times instead? Let me know in a review if you get a chance. Thanks for reading. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

Bella seemed to be a little less distant with each passing day. I had hoped that as soon as I had returned, she would come back to me. Now I see that it was a fools wish. Her mind was still as silent as ever, but her apartment was the only place I could find peace with my own thoughts. Bella and Alice were watching 'Legally Blonde' in the living room, the strong scent of acetone and nail polish wafting through the air. I hated when Alice did Bella's nails. The fumes were not good for her. I've been trying to stay distant from Bella to give her space, but it has been difficult. At least she didn't shy away from that kiss last night on her forehead. Her heart was pounding and her breath quickened. Unfortunately, I couldn't tell if it was from excitement or fear.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair out of human habit. And this vision that Alice has been seeing… what could it mean? Tonight Emmett would be switching out with me until Saturday. His mind was clear of any inappropriate thoughts of Bella, but they were far from the innocent thoughts from 5 years ago. Bella was, in fact, a woman now and Emmett clearly knew it. Alice was obviously rooting for him since she'd filled all of Bella's clothes with tones of green—Emmett's favorite. She'd promised me to stay out of it and let things fall into place, but this was clearly putting me at a disadvantage. What could she be hiding from me that would cause her to side with Emmett? I searched her mind from the living room, grimacing at her thoughts.

_Oops, I did it again! I played with your heart. Got lost in the game. Ooh baby, baby…_

She was definitely hiding something. Alice always defaulted to Britney Spears when she was hiding something. I would have to find out later. I glanced at the clock. It was already approaching 11 and Bella would need to sleep soon. She had work tomorrow. I took in an unnecessary breath, stepping into the living room. Bella and Alice were on the couch, Bella sprawled on Alice's lap. The little pixie was running her fingers through Bella's hair, massaging her scalp. Bella was already beginning to drift to sleep.

"I'll take her to bed." I said at vampire speed in the softest tone possible. Alice nodded. _Emmett will be here in ten minutes. _

I held back a growl. Bella would not fall for him. She couldn't. I loved her too much and she would fall for me again. We had too much history together. That was my advantage. I've already had Bella before and I know exactly how to get under her skin and back into her heart. I will find a way to make her see that things can be perfect again. I will find a way. She will be mine.

* * *

Edward was hanging out in the kitchen, watching us occasionally but keeping mostly to himself. How could I talk to Alice without him knowing what I was saying? I sighed, barely watching the movie playing as Alice continued to paint my nails a mossy green color with golden shimmer. It was actually really nice and Alice was an absolute perfectionist. She'd pampered me with chocolate and caramel popcorn while she lotioned up and massaged her way through my mani pedi. As she worked her way down my toes, I grabbed my phone, going straight into messaging. I texted her, watching her phone chirp with my message. I grabbed her phone, quickly silencing it completely before giving it back to her.

'Tell me about this vision. What are you seeing, exactly? Make sure you delete these and think of something else right now so Edward won't be able to listen in. Sing Britney or something.'

Alice's lips quirked up into a small smile as she quickly typed out a response, my phone blinking with her message.

'Bella, I can't really tell you that much. I want things to flow on their own without my help. If I tell you what I see, you won't make your own decisions and it completely affects what your future holds. Just follow your instincts.'

'What instincts? I don't even have a sense of self preservation, remember? I don't really know what to think Alice. I need something to distract me away from Edward's advances because I don't want to fall back in love with him. But… I don't know if I ever fell out of love. And I definitely don't want Emmett to be the rebound guy. He's too good for that. I don't deserve him.' I admit to her, guiltily looking at my toes as she replied. Reese Witherspoon was bouncing around in a bikini on the T.V.

'Bella, stop worrying. You won't make a mistake in your choice, either way you go. Edward is still very much in love with you and he's sorry for what he did. He will never do it again. Emmett is a great guy with a big heart and he's very loyal. He won't ever leave you either. It's up to you. What I can tell you is that whichever way you decide to go, the other man will only want your happiness.'

Yeah, like that made me feel better. I couldn't just lead both of them on to pick only one at the end. If the world was perfect, I could have the best of both of them. I sighed, already beginning to pick at my fingers.

"Knock it off, Bella! Your nails finally started to obey me." Alice hissed, smacking my hands lightly. I giggled, popping come caramel popcorn in my mouth before sprawling over the couch, my head resting in her cool lap. She quickly stuffed a pillow under my head to block her rock hard legs from hurting me.

"Sleep, Bella." she whispered, beginning to run her fingers through my hair, her nails scratching my scalp lightly. Ooh, that felt good. I was asleep before I knew it.

* * *

Eddie boy and Ally were already downstairs by the time I arrived. It completely put a damper on my excitement to see Bella. Maybe she was still awake. I was really starting to like her. She was funny, understanding, didn't treat me like an idiot, and beautiful to boot. She'd really grown into that body. Plus I couldn't deny I loved her in green. I paused, listening to Edward and Alice. They were arguing in hushed tones and I could only grasp onto the last few words before they realized I was outside the door, listening in.

"You need to back off, Edward. Bella is stressed. She doesn't know what she wants yet. Let her make that choice."

"He doesn't deserve her."

"And you do?"

Edward sighed heavily before turning to the door. "Come in, Emmett."

My brows furrowed together as I stepped into the room, a duffel bag slung over my shoulder. I had to have a few extra sets of clothes over here to change into after hunting. "What was that about?" I asked, dropping the bag onto the dining table, leaning against the wall and crossing my arms. I watched their faces change from frustration to anxiety. Oh, they were hiding something from me. Something about Bella. I had to know.

"Who doesn't deserve Bella?" I asked Edward, searching his eyes as he struggled to answer.

"It's nothing, Emmett. Don't worry about it. Bella is asleep upstairs." Alice cut in, grabbing a bag of what looked like nail polish as she headed towards the door. "You guys behave." she warned before taking her leave. Just like Alice, fleeing the scene before I could get anything out of her.

"You aren't going to tell me, huh." I said matter-of-factly. Eddie boy stayed quiet, shrugging as he grabbed his own duffel. "Who is it? Is it one of the wolves going after Bella?" I asked lowly, growling at the thought. Bella was better than those dogs. She deserved someone strong, loving, and loyal. Sounds familiar…

Edward hissed lowly at my thoughts and I shrugged. "What? She's just not what I would consider as a kid sister anymore. Just look at her. How could anyone ever consider her a sister?" I asked, my face twisting into amusement as Edward smacked my arm lightly.

"Take care of her." he whispered before heading out the door. I had a feeling that was a double meaning.

I flashed upstairs straight to Bella's room, pausing outside her door as I listened. She was shifting on her bed, in some sort of crazy dream, it seemed. Last week she'd mentioned Edward and me in her dreams, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. Just a quick 'Shut up Emmett' or 'No Edward, no'… but tonight, she was really chatty. I opened the door, popping my head in to make sure she was okay. Even from the door, I could see she was uncomfortable. I approached her at human pace, taking a seat next to her bed and watching her with curious eyes. She was truly beautiful when she slept.

"Emmett." she whispered, turning onto her side to face me. My eyes darkened as I smelled her arousal in the air. Was that for me? She was having a sexual dream about me? Score! I could feel myself hardening in my pants as her scent wafted through the room and I growled lowly, willing it to go away. This was Bella and she deserved better than a horny dude watching her sleep.

I reached out, brushing my cool hands over her deliciously hot skin, pushing her hair out of her eyes. She stilled immediately, purring in comfort. Of course… she must miss this. Edward had always stayed with her nightly when they were together. She must find comfort in his touch. I wondered if she thought it was him here right now, comforting her. "Emmett." she whispered again. Then again, maybe not. I couldn't hide my joyous smirk as I continued to stroke her forehead and cheek, her lush lips parting slightly.

Maybe I shouldn't be here. I didn't want to be the same creeper Edward was in the beginning, sneaking into her room and watching her sleep. It was wrong. She needed privacy and me to be a decent man. It was the least I could do for her after all she'd sacrificed for all of us. I sighed, stroking her cheek once more before standing to leave. "Goodnight, Bella." I whispered in a deep, husky voice.

She purred again, her eyes opening slightly. Crap, she was awake. I froze, knowing I was caught red handed. I felt like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar. She seemed to freeze for a moment too, watching me with careful eyes before speaking.

"Stay with me. Please."

And so I stayed.

**A/N: I know this one was a little bit shorter than the others, but it felt wrong to keep writing. Hope you enjoyed the different POV in this. Let me know which you liked the most. Also, things will be getting a little bit more lemony from here on out. It's rated M for a reason kiddies **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

I didn't hunt the night she had asked me to stay. I had fully planned on going out and tearing down a grizzly or two as soon as she fell back asleep, but I couldn't convince myself to move away from the beauty in slumber before me. She'd asked me to stay, after all. Her dreams bounced around all night, her arousal spiking heavily at times before settling back down into what seemed like worried nightmares. I felt like my hormones were out of control. I had a raging hard on all night and even now at the break of dawn, it wouldn't subside. I glanced at the clock besides Bella's bed. Her alarm would sound in 5 minutes. I reached over, turning it off quietly, careful not to jostle her hand which gripped possessively onto mine. It'd been like this all night. I definitely wasn't complaining.

What was this that I was feeling for Bella? I didn't know how to explain it. With Rosie, it was an automatic thing. Carlisle had changed me specifically to fit with Rosalie, but I'd never felt like this before. We'd had great sex and conversation, but I'd never felt like some teenage boy wondering whether Rosalie liked me or not. It was more like an obligation. We were just filling our time with each other, not really friends but not really lovers either. In the short time that Bella had returned, I felt a great friendship blossoming between us, but could there be more? I didn't know, but I was damn sure I was going to find out.

"Bella." I whispered softly, leaning in and running my other hand through her slightly tangled hair, rays of sunlight catching on her tresses through the window. She groaned, shaking her head and curling up into a ball, her hand pulling me closer up against her chest. I hissed lowly as she pressed my fingers up against those sinfully soft mounds. I could feel her nipples beneath that thin green nightshirt and my pants tightened impossibly more.

"Bella." I repeated more assertively, trying to maintain my composure. Did she know what she was doing to me? I gritted my teeth, regretfully pulling my hand away from her and running it over her arm instead, shaking slightly to rouse her. Her eyes shot open and she gasped, sitting up straight.

"Oh my God, am I late?!" she exclaimed, turning to look at the alarm. When it finally dawned on her, she sighed in relief and sank back into the bed. A sudden blush spread across her face and my God, was it beautiful. I could hear the blood rushing through her body and my hunger spiked, my mouth filling with sweet venom. I swallowed it thickly, warring with the beast inside. This was Bella. You will not hurt Bella.

"Have you been here all night?" she asked quietly, turning to face me.

"Yeah. You had some great dreams, I might add." I teased. Ah, there was that blush again. Her whole body must have been flushing because that rushing blood flowed twice as hard and I immediately regretted teasing her. She narrowed her eyes at me after a moment, watching me closely.

"Did you hunt last night, Em?" she asked, changing the subject. I grinned sheepishly, shrugging.

"I'm so sorry. I should have let you hunt. Your eyes are so dark, Emmett. Why didn't you just leave when I fell asleep?" she asked, reaching out and placing her warm hand on mine. The answer was so simple.

"Because you asked me to stay."

* * *

I didn't know why I felt so happy when he said that.

"Because you asked me to stay."

He starved himself last night because I'd asked him to stay. Why would he do that? He must really care about me. Oh, Emmett. I smiled, reaching out and running a hand over his cheek. He leaned into it, a dimpled smile spreading on his boyish face before he stood.

"You should get ready for work. I'll take a quick hunt outside while you're showering." He said, his eyes darkening to near black as the blanket fell off of me when I moved to stand. I was wearing that same set of green pajamas from the first night he'd spent over. His eyes roamed me at what must have been vampire speed, because I barely caught it. I blushed again. I could hear a low growl in his throat as he quickly flashed over to the door.

"Be right back." He said in a strained voice and immediately felt guilty about my embarrassment. I knew that Emmett was, in fact, the biggest vampire in the family. That meant he fed more often than the rest of them. While Edward could go a few days without a meal and be fine, Emmett needed the nightly feeds, especially when he was around me all the time. I sighed, peeling the clothes off of my body and heading towards the shower.

The hot water sluiced away the previous day from my body, but it did nothing to help with the dreams that were burned in my mind—namely the lusty dreams of Emmett. At first, it had been Edward in my dream, kissing me, touching me. But his voice changed, his body grew, and I could feel muscle rippling beneath my fingers as Emmett caressed me, touching my most intimate areas with an expertise that made me tremble. I felt the familiar hot tingle blossom between my thighs as I replayed last night's dreams in my head over and over again. I wondered if I'd said anything. I always talked in my dreams. Oh crap, Emmett probably heard me moaning his name last night. How embarrassing! I sighed, leaning my head against the wall as I let the water run cold against my skin. It was doing little to keep my overheated skin cool.

A sudden knock on the bathroom door snapped me out of my dirty thoughts.

"Bella, you alright in there?" Emmett called. That really was a quick hunt, even for him.

"Yeah. Give me a minute." I called back and I quickly shut off the shower, climbing out and drying off with a fluffy towel. I glanced at myself in the mirror. I looked like hell. My cheeks were flushed, my eyes were hazy, and my lips were bruised from the constant biting on them from last night. It must have been my subconscious trying desperately to stop me from moaning last night since Emmett was there. Apparently, I hadn't succeeded.

I popped my head out of the shower and Emmett was nowhere in sight. I chewed on my lip again, slipping into a beige sweaterdress with low heeled pumps. If Alice got anything right, it was definitely my wardrobe. Everything was chosen to perfection. I slapped on a little mascara and lipgloss before heading downstairs, the smell of fresh coffee and eggs filling the air. Emmett was sitting at the dining table, reading Sports Illustrated again. He smiled at me as I came downstairs.

"She lives. You took a while in there. Getting your rocks off?" he asked, his face completely serious. I froze in my spot at how close his question actually was.

"I… uh…"

"Calm down, Bella." He broke into laughter, his serious composure completely broken as he shook in his seat. I huffed, smacking him as hard as I could only to have my hand stinging in return.

He grasped onto it quickly with his cool hands, rubbing it. His eyes softened as he smiled apologetically at me, sitting me down and pushing the plate of hot food towards me. I tucked in quickly. I eyed him when I thought he wasn't looking, looking closely at his eyes. They were still so dark, but a little closer to the Emmett I knew.

"Is there still chipmunk between my teeth?" he asked, his eyes meeting mine. I shook my head, chuckling.

"Did you really have chipmunk? How'd it taste?"

"Yeah, it tasted like hell. I'll have a better go after I drop you off at work." He said, shrugging and offering a smile as I finished off my breakfast. "Nice dress." He commented as I stood. I felt that familiar flush on my cheeks as I turned away, thanking him quietly. I could feel his smoldering eyes watching me as I grabbed my purse and folders, heading out the door first.

I was silent as he swooped me up and strapped me in, not arguing when he lingered a bit longer than usual. I could feel him breathing just as deeply as I was. Did I smell as good as he did? He flashed over to the drivers side, climbing in and beginning the short drive to the elementary school.

"So… was Rosalie angry that you decided to stay half the week with me?" I asked, not really knowing how to bring up the subject. Emmett stilled for a moment, pausing before answering.

"No. She was actually really cool about it. Its nice to get some alone time, for the both of us I mean. She's my best friend, but things can get a little bit awkward sometimes. It'll get better, though." He explained.

"Do you still love her?" I asked, not knowing what I wanted the answer to be.

"I do. I'm just not _in_ love with her. I don't know if I ever have been."

"Have you ever been in love, Em?" I asked, curious now.

"I don't know. I don't remember much of my human life. Maybe I had a smokin' hot girlfriend that I would have made cute little brats with and grown old with. But that's just not the way it went, you know? But I have no regrets. Life… well, you know, whatever this is—it's good." He replied contentedly as he turned into the school. I unstrapped myself, smiling and nodding.

"I'm glad you're happy. I hope Rosalie finds contentment, too." I murmured softly. Before I knew it, I'd bent over, pecking Emmett's cheek before turning and heading into the school. I didn't turn back to see his expression.

The day flew by so quickly and the school bell rang promptly at 2:30. I scooped up my things, walking with Kat to the front doors. The halls were alive with the bright chatter of children and I couldn't help but feed off of their cheerfulness, a wide smile on my face when we left the building. Emmett was already waiting in the jeep and Kat hopped excitedly. "Emmett is here!" she exclaimed in her tiny voice. She really was taking a liking to him.

"Hey kiddo!" Emmett exclaimed, climbing out of the car and stooping down to her level. "How ya doing?" he asked, reaching out and fixing her hat.

"I'm doin' good."

"Well, Katty. I'm doing well." I corrected, smiling as I slipped into the seat and strapped myself in.

"You're gonna miss the bus, kid. See you tomorrow?" Emmett asked, and she nodded quickly. Stepping up to her tippy toes to reach him, she leaned in, whispering into his ear. His face twisted into amusement and he nodded, shrugging slightly.

"Maybe, kiddo. I'm not sure yet. But when I find out, you'll be the first to know. See ya!" He replied to her hushed whisper. I never wished I have vampire hearing more than I did right now.

"What was that about?" I asked, watching him warily as he drove home.

"Nothin' important." He chuckled, stretching slightly and rubbing his belly.

"Get a good hunt in?" I asked, smiling when his bright golden eyes turned to look at me.

"Yep. Back to the good ol' me." He grinned.

"Em, please don't do that again. I know I asked you to stay out of my own selfishness, but I won't let you starve." I whispered, turning my eyes away from his, my head hanging in shame. I felt so guilty that he hadn't been able to eat because I was clingy last night.

"Bella. I would hardly call that 'starving'. Besides, I stayed not only because you asked me to, but because you wanted me to. You're very interesting to watch while you're sleeping you know. I never understood what was up with Edward always watching you sleep before, but now I get it. You're so freakin' cute."

I flushed in my seat, shaking my head. "I talk too much."

"Well, yeah. But your dreams sure are something worth listening in on." He muttered, rubbing at his chin and grinning at some memory I would probably never live down.

"What exactly did you hear last night?" I asked, quirking a brow at him. "Actually, nevermind. Don't answer that. I'm already mortified."

"Don't worry Bella. I won't tell Edward that you secretly want me." He teased, reaching out and poking softly at my side. I jumped, giggling and batting his cool hand away.

"Shut up, Emmett."

"There's the Bella I remember." He grinned, and we were back into our bickering now. This was the times I loved spending with Emmett, where the conversations weren't so serious and we spent our time laughing about everything and nothing at all. The rest of the day was spent grading while we watched movies, my legs slung over his lap as I scribbled furiously, trying to get through the stack of papers.

I twitched when I felt his cold hands over my feet, rubbing them with firm fingers. God, that felt good. I rolled my head back, groaning as he ran over that aching spot at the ball of my foot. "That's incredible." I comment, sighing contentedly as he continued to massage.

"I can tell." He laughed, tickling my foot before moving to the other one. This was definitely a good day.

"Hey Em… has Alice or Edward talked about changing me?" I asked, suddenly curious.

"Well… no. I haven't heard them really bring it up, but I'm sure it'll be addressed soon. Why? Do you still want it?" he asked, moving up my calf, his eyes glancing over at me. The sound of tommy guns and explosions were emanating from the T.V.

"Yes." I replied without hesitation. "But I don't know if I want Edward to be the one to change me anymore." I admitted, watching his hands work on my calves, but not moving any higher. "I don't know how to trust him again. I don't know how to love him like I used to. It's just not the same." I sighed, sinking lower into the couch. Emmett continued to work on my legs, staying quiet for a moment before answering.

"If you really want it, I'm sure Carlisle would be happy to." He finally answered, patting my foot lightly. I curled them up to my chin, smiling at him.

"Yeah, I'm sure he could." I said, but I knew my heart didn't want Carlisle to be the one to change me.

"I would offer to do it myself, but I don't know if I could really control myself. I remember when I first changed, I slipped a few times. I haven't tasted human blood in over 100 years, but I still remember it like yesterday. And your blood Bella, if I can be frank, smells fucking fantastic. Especially when you blush." He laughed, reaching over and ruffling my hair. I laughed, trying to bat away his steel like arms with no success. I felt myself blush anyway and he growled slightly, his eyes darkening to a deep orange.

"Are you okay?" I asked, barely moving as I watched him.

"Yeah. I'm good." He said after a few seconds, sitting back on the couch and turning back to the T.V. "Sorry Bells. I'd be happy to change you any time, but you know… I just don't want to kill you." He sighed.

"It's okay, Em. I don't want the change right now anyway. I'm waiting for the right moment."

"Okay, Bells."

And we went back to watching T.V.

Night fell quickly and I was in bed by 10 PM. Emmett went out for another hunt and I finally had a little bit of time to myself. I settled into bed quickly, taking in a deep breath before glancing out the window. He shouldn't be close. He was going to grab a grizzly and that meant he would be heading out further than usual. I made sure the doors were closed and the window was locked before I settled into bed, closing my eyes and letting my hands roam over my body.

I bit my lip to stifle a groan as I rolled a nipple between my fingers, my other hand travelling down my belly and ghosting over the apex of my legs. I quickly kicked off my pants and slipped my fingers into my undies, gently stroking the hot flesh that was buzzing with need. I could feel the tension deep in my belly, coiled tightly and ready to burst from the sexual tension I'd been experiencing since the dreams I had the previous night. I needed release desperately tonight.

I moaned softly, my breath hitching as I found my clit, flicking it gently with my thumb as I slipped a finger into my entrance. My thoughts travelled and I replayed those hot dreams again, feeling Emmett's cool thick finger spreading me instead of my own small hands. His tongue was on my neck, tasting me as he thrust those long fingers into me, rubbing deliciously against that spot deep within.

"Emmett." I groaned, pistoning myself with my fingers, my other hand rubbing furiously at my clit as I approached release. "Harder, please." I whispered, gasping as I imagined his fingers being replaced with something much harder and longer. I could hear him whispering my name in my head, begging me to cum with him. "Emmett, yes!"

My toes curled, my back arching as waves of hot pleasure ripped through me in fast waves. I gritted my teeth, gripping onto the sheets as I quivered under the sheets. I sighed in relief, my body finally relaxing in the aftershock of my orgasm. "Thank God." I whisper, stretching out in the bed before quickly falling into a deep, comfortable slumber.

* * *

I was planning on going to find me some grizzlies, but my God I stopped in my tracks when I heard that breathy groan. At first I'd thought it was a bad dream, but I knew it was far from that after a few more seconds of listening in. Sweet, sweet Bella was touching herself to me. I heard her whisper my name, the sound of her slick fingers diving in and out of that hot little pussy was more than enough to get me going. I warred with myself, knowing it was wrong to listen in, but also knowing that I'd probably never have this chance again. I took the opportunity for release. What she didn't know would hurt her. I would just keep this under wraps for now. We both needed this, anyway.

I unzipped my pants, leaning against the tree by the house and grasping my rock hard cock in my hands, stroking it quickly to match her thrusting pace. "Harder, please!" I heard her beg and I growled lowly, wishing I really could have my way with that tight little body she had. "Yes, Emmett!" she gasped, and I groaned, feeling my climax approach quickly.

"Together, Bella." I whispered.

I felt the tree cracking under my grip as I came into my hand, cool spurts of semen spraying in thick ropes onto the dirt at my feet. "Bella." I groaned, my fingers digging deep into the bark of the wood as I tried desperately to grasp a hold of myself. I took an unnecessary breath, sighing as I leaned against the splintered tree and zipped myself up.

The familiar burn in my throat tightened as the smell of her hot arousal wafted through the air, even through the closed doors and windows.

"Fuck." I cursed, turning and running at full speed towards the closest living animal I could find and pounced. Tonight was definitely going to be a long one.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the mini lemon at the end. Please review and let me know what you think if you have a moment. By the way, happy belated Saint Patrick's Day. I hope you wore green for Emmett, too (;**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

I almost couldn't stand knowing that Emmett was spending time with Bella for most of the week. Alice and Jasper were my only saving grace during the week that I was away from the 'meaning of my existence'. They busied me with hunting, shopping, and training. I spent a lot of time sparring with Jasper in the middle of the woods. His thoughts were calmer than the rest of the families and easy to listen to while we trained.

"Are you alright, brother?" he asked quietly as he swung at me with a lightning fast right hook. I deflected with an arm, swiftly pushing a knee up towards his belly. He blocked with his free hand, his amber eyes meeting mine.

"I don't know." I answered honestly. That was the thing about Jasper. He would always know when I was being deceitful. I'd had this conversation with him before, but it always ended the same. I would leave more confused and he would return to Alice and continue his happy life. Emmett was undoubtedly developing feelings for my Bella. But who wouldn't? She was divine. She'd grown so much in the past five years, but stayed the same in so many ways. Bella was all woman now, all curves and silk, all bite and sultriness. She had become so much more than the teenager I had loved those years ago. I found myself wondering if she was still pure. She'd dormed and probably partied at university. What kind of influence did she have there? Did anyone defile my flower? I growled lowly at the thought, too distracted to notice the flying kick coming my way.

I barely felt the tree that I pummeled into, the bark splintering and cracking beneath my momentum. I stood at vampire speed, running a hand through my hair and shaking out the bits of wood. Jasper stood with his arms crossed, a concerned smile on his face. "Whatever you're thinking, it needs to stop. You're worrying too much about Bella. She's fine with Emmett there, you know."

Jasper's thoughts were on Victoria it seemed. He thought I was worried that Victoria would attack while I wasn't there and that Emmett wouldn't be able to protect her. It wasn't a lie. When Victoria decided to attack, I wanted to be the one to protect Bella. I needed her to see that I would gladly die for her. A thousands deaths, if need be. Would Emmett die for her? Of course he wouldn't! I nodded, returning a smile at my worried friend and brother.

"I know."

"Why are you jealous, Edward? It's rolling off it waves." Jasper commented, leaning against a nearby tree in a relaxed position.

"You know why." I hissed.

"You don't know that he has feelings for her yet. And if he does, would it really be so bad for her to be happy with someone else? Bella deserves happiness, Edward… even if it isn't with you."

Ouch, that stung. I glared at my brother, not wanting to believe that Bella could be happy with anyone else but me. "She deserves me." I retorted back without any real bite in my voice.

"She deserves someone that won't hurt her. I'm sorry Edward, but you hurt her badly. After all these years, she still hasn't recovered. You should be grateful that she's even allowing you into her life right now. Take it slowly, brother. Give her time to heal. The last thing she needs right now is for you to assault her with love and confuse her. As hard as it is to hear, Emmett is very much capable of taking care of Bella in more ways than one." I flinched at Jasper's words, but said nothing as he continued, "He and Rosalie are separated now. Rose is even considering taking a long vacation on her own to try and find her true mate. They both deserve happiness too, Edward. If Bella finds herself falling for Emmett or vice versa, you must not stand in the way. It will only destroy you all in the end and the rest of us will only be able to watch."

I gritted my teeth, pounding a fist into the ground. I watched as the earth shook beneath the force of the punch, the loud twittering and scrambling of nature fleeing at the mini earthquake. "I won't lose her. I won't." I repeated, turning and fleeing from the sparring site. Jasper did not follow.

Tonight was the night I made the switch to Bella's apartment. I wasted no time as I sped over to her place in my Volvo, the leather covered wheel bending slightly beneath my tight grip. I could hear Emmett's thoughts as I pulled up. They were quick, flurried snippets of thoughts and memories that I couldn't really latch on to. He was downstairs with Bella. Her heartbeat was slow and comfortable. I could hear her beautiful laughter within her living room. I wished it was for me.

"Edwards here." Emmett announced to her before I opened the door. I nearly reeled back as the hot scent of her arousal assaulted me. It was diluted, maybe a day or two old, but strong. What the hell had they been doing while I was gone? My eyes darkened as I warred with the beast within. I wanted her so badly, but I was angry with her at the same time. She had never shown this much lust while I was with her before, but with Emmett it seemed her sex drive had spiked heavily. The scent wafted from her room and I didn't know if I wanted to go in there and swath myself in her sheets or tear the room apart knowing that none of it was for me.

Emmett was busy whistling silly tunes in his head in an attempt to divert his thoughts from me.

"Hello, Bella. Emmett." I greeted, hiding my fury beneath a thin veil of calm warmth.

"Hey." Bella greeted with a cute smile at me. Emmett nodded at me, grabbing his car keys and leaning over to wrap Bella into a tight hug before taking his leave.

"I'll see you in a few, Bells." He whispered into her ear. I watched her inhale deeply, taking in his scent. How vulgar.

"Kay. Bye Em." She replied, offering him a heartfelt smile and watching him as he left the house. We listened as he turned on the jeep and pulled away, the engine roaring loudly as he sped back home.

"Would you like me to start dinner?" I asked, not wanting to break our uneasy peace for the moment.

"Sure."

"What would you like?" I asked, stepping towards the kitchen.

"Anything is fine." She smiled, following me. She delved into the fridge and I heard the tinkle of a wine bottle touching glass. I didn't turn around as I listened to her sip on her wine, breathing in deeply as I started to cook.

"How is everything going?" I asked casually. She took another long swig before replying.

"Good. Classes are going great and Victoria hasn't come to kill me yet." She teased, but it was far from funny.

"Bella, please don't joke about your life. I don't know what I would do if you were to ever…" I couldn't even end the sentence. My dead heart throbbed at the thought of Bella's non existence.

"Lighten up, Edward." She chuckled, taking a seat at the dining table. She ate and I watched her in comfortable silence. As I washed her dish, I cautiously brought up my question, hoping she wouldn't take offense.

"Bella, did Emmett do anything to you this week?" I asked, leaving the questioned open ended and vague. She paused in her step, gripping her glass of wine tightly in her hand. I could see her knuckles go white with anxiety.

"What do you mean?" she asked in a slightly quavering voice.

"I mean did he take advantage of you? Did he make you do anything you didn't want to?" I asked, going straight to the point. She gaped at me for a moment, too surprised to answer.

"Of course not!" she finally exclaimed in anger. "How could you even think that he would ever do anything like that? Emmett has been nothing but a gentleman!" she hissed, slamming her glass down on the table and crossing her arms.

"Why would you assume something like that?" she asked, her chocolate brown eyes searching mine. I froze, taking a moment to think up an answer as I dried off the dish and put it away.

"I smelled something when I came in the house, but I guess it's nothing to worry about." I replied with gritted teeth, not turning back to look at her. So she'd pleasured herself alone, then. I didn't know whether to be relieved or more angry.

"Smelled what?" she asked, her face flushing in embarrassment. What I wouldn't give to hear her thoughts at this very moment.

"Sex." I replied bluntly, crossing my arms and turning to face her. "I smelled sex, Bella. But if Emmett hasn't been taking advantage of you, then there's nothing I need to worry about, right?" I snapped. I wish my tone had been kinder, but I couldn't hide the jealousy in my voice.

"You thought that… wait, you actually thought that Emmett and I had…" she trailed off, her blush heightening. I felt venom well in my mouth when the sound of her rushing blood filled her cheeks. "You're out of line." She finally whispered, turning and fleeing upstairs. I didn't follow her, sighing heavily and taking a seat at the dining table. I rested my head in my palms and closed my eyes, listening to her stomp into her room and head straight to the bath. The running water muffled her angry mutterings, but I could make them out easy enough. She was livid. But so was I.

Why in God's name was she touching herself to Emmett? Why was she touching herself at all?! It was a vulgar habit that I refrained from all together. The whole family indulged in masturbation though and I was often forced to hear it in the house. Knowing Bella ran those delicate fingers over herself at night made my pants tighten painfully. I dug my nails into my scalp, relishing in the pain it brought to distract from my rock hard erection. I glanced down between my legs, the prominent length against my thigh rigid and twitching with need. I sighed, shaking my head as I tried to think of unappealing things. Dead puppies, cockroaches, Emmett naked, anything to get my mind off of naked Bella touching her sweet pussy.

It didn't work. I growled lowly, listening to Bella splash around in the shower, cleaning herself. She probably would take a lot longer than necessary and then stay upstairs all night. She was so angry with me for asking, but it was something that needed to be brought to attention. I flashed over to the couch, taking a seat on it and staring at the wall, not really paying attention to anything but the thoughts of Bella writhing beneath her sheets, whispering Emmett's name. Had he been listening to her do it? Had he helped? Did he defile her? I felt my lip twitch into a deep, angry frown. My phone beeped and I looked down at the text Alice sent me.

_Knock it off, Edward. If you stay like this, she won't speak to you at all this weekend. Take care of your needs while she's showering and unaware. You need the release._

"Shut up, Alice." I whispered down at my phone, tossing it unceremoniously onto the floor and laying back on the couch, staring up at Bella's ceiling. My straining erection was not failing and I sighed, slowly reaching down and gingerly touching it with my clothes on. I hissed as a spark of pleasure ripped through me from that one touch. It felt good, but so very sinful. It wasn't right. It wasn't proper. I sighed, giving in as I reached into my pants, stroking myself quickly to the thought of Bella moaning _my_ name instead. This was so wrong, but God it felt so good. I bit my lip to stifle a groan as I came into my hand, ruining my boxers and pants. I sighed in relief, sitting up and quickly grabbing a new set of clothes to change into, stuffing the dirty ones into my duffel bag. What had I become?

I sighed, listening as Bella climbed out of the shower, her heart beating much more slowly and comfortably now. I had to apologize now, even though I didn't want to.

"Bella." I called as I flashed upstairs to her door, knocking on it gently.

"What?" she whispered back, but she could have just as well been yelling it.

"May I come in?"

She didn't reply and I turned the knob slowly, pushing the door open to reveal her room.

"Bella, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything about… that." I started, watching her face as she crossed her arms and took a seat at the edge of her bed. The room didn't smell as strongly as I thought it would. Apparently, she'd cracked a window after I told her what I had smelled. I was almost sad to see the scent go. It was all too appealing and I could feel my erection returning once more.

"What I do in the comfort of my own bed is none of your concern, Edward. But I'll have you know that Emmett didn't… well, he wasn't here when I… you know." She ended, flustered and completely endearing.

"I understand. I'm sorry, Bella. I won't ever bring it up again. But please be careful." I replied, reaching out and touching her cheek gingerly. I brushed her wet hair back behind her ear, smiling at her crookedly. And just like that, everything was alright again. She nodded, leaning slightly into my touch. That was a step forward, at least. "Please, go to bed. You must be tired. I'll have breakfast waiting for you when you wake." I whispered to her, letting her climb up into bed and under the covers before I left the room and went back downstairs to 'relieve' myself once more.

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry about the long wait for this update! Hope you enjoy, please review if you have a moment! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**A/N: Please read this before you go any further. I firstly want to thank you all for all the great reviews and constructive criticism. I will try harder to make an effort to update more often and I will start labeling POV's so it will be easier to follow along. Also, please bear with me while I bring Emmett and Bella closer. I don't want this fic to become an instant 'fall in love' wishy washy kind of story. I want depth and drama, so Edward will be a crucial point in this fic. But I promise you, it **_**is **_**a Bella/Emmett fic and it will get there eventually. Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

BPOV

The next two months melded together so quickly I didn't even notice the time passing. Emmett and Edward continued to switch places in order to watch over me. I continued to fret over Victoria, work, and my budding crush on Emmett. Edward was consistently becoming more affectionate with me and I could feel myself falling back into friendliness with him as well. I still wasn't over what had happened and I definitely hadn't learned how to forgive him, but the time spent together brought us a little closer each time. Our conversations became easier and slowly but surely, I started to enjoy myself around him again.

Emmett and I were nearly inseparable when together. As soon as I woke, he would drive me to work. He would pick me up, take me home, and we would spend time playing games, watching TV, or grading. Yes, Emmett helped me grade. Well, at least he tried to. I watched most nights in amusement as he struggled to read the kids sloppy alphabets and strange stick figures, giving up altogether most of the time and leaving it to me. He spent every night massaging my feet or my shoulders, talking to me about everything we could think of, and buying me bottles of my favorite wines and food. With each passing day, I felt myself growing closer and closer to him and I wondered then if he considered me as anything more than a little sister. He was anything but a brotherly figure to me. I touched myself almost every night to images of him buried within me, bringing me to heights I could only imagine.

Edward must have known about my nightly escapades, but he said nothing. He and Emmett seemed to have grown distant with each other since I'd moved back. I chalked it up to Edward's jealousy and the fact that they no longer really lived with each other. The only time they ever really had contact was within that five minutes of switching places to stay with me. I often found Edward with his teeth gritted every time he stepped into the apartment, holding his breath and speaking only when necessary.

I couldn't quite understand why it bothered him so much that I had more of a sex drive now. He couldn't actually know that I was thinking of Emmett while I pleased myself, so there wasn't any real room for jealousy. Then again, I never masturbated while Edward was here. He hardly ever left the house while I was in it, so I could never find any real privacy. Emmett continued his nightly hunts when he stayed over.

I'd had dinner with Charlie almost every week and Jake called often too. They all seemed to be doing well. Esme invited me over a few times for dinner and "family bonding" as she called it. I loved that woman and her unyielding spirit. The rest of the Cullen's were as they always were. Rosalie ended up leaving just a month ago to Italy in search of her true mate and some alone time. She would be back on Alice's word when Victoria grew closer. Alice still couldn't pinpoint the exact date of the attack, but it was coming soon. Winter was setting in and snow was beginning to fall.

"When the snow begins to stick… that's when she will come."

Alice's haunted words gave me nightmares almost every night. Emmett grew accustomed to hunting and then coming up to my room and sitting by my bed while I slept. I couldn't say I didn't like it. I found myself smiling every time I woke to find his amber eyes watching me with a smoldering intensity. Sometimes, his hand would be on mine. Those days were always good. I wondered if he could smell my sex in the air when he came back. Edward obviously could, but Edward also had a keen sense of smell when it came to me. Perhaps Emmett wasn't able to pick it up.

EmPOV

Fucking Christ, that smell is going to get the better of me. Every single night, I came back to Bella's room to find it drenched in the scent of her sweet juices, still warm from her pussy. I felt guilty since the night I'd discovered her moaning my name and I'd taken to running out of hearing range when I hunted, but I always came back to find her well sated and in a heavy slumber. So many nights I found myself drawing closer and closer to her warm body, the inner beast begging me to taste the nectar between those smooth legs. I'd found myself needing more feedings and more time to myself out in those woods to try and sate my own sex drive. My hand was indeed a poor substitute.

Eddie boy seemed to be growing more angry with me with each passing week, coming back into the apartment to find Bella's hot sexy scent all over the place. He obviously assumed the worse and I was finding too much amusement in it to tell him the truth. For now, I'd just let him think I was having my way with her. Fuck, I wish I could have my way with her. But this was Bella, and I loved Bella too much to use and abuse that body. She deserved to be worshipped by someone more deserving than me or Edward.

I didn't know what these feelings were that seemed to increase with each passing week. One month turned into two, and two quickly became three. I found myself wishing I could see her when I was stuck at home, and missing her more and more when she was at work. How could this human have so much effect on me? The love and lust I felt for Rosalie didn't even come close to what I felt for Bella. Is that what this was? Love?

I sighed heavily out of habit, closing my eyes in thought as I laid upon Bella's couch. She was at work today and I still had another hour before I needed to go pick her up. The pasta I was whipping up was already almost done, the nasty ass smell of pesto and garlic filling the air. Time seemed to pass so much more slowly when I was waiting to pick up Bella or when I was at home. There used to be a time when I could compare one minute to one month, but now I could fully appreciate a full hour of waiting for Bells to finish up with the kiddies.

My thoughts kept drifting to the impending attack from Victoria. The weather was starting to chill now and there was constant snow. It would begin to stick soon, and I hoped I was there one to be there when the attack came. Alice's visions were becoming clearer with each passing week and she was beginning to find Victoria's schemes and plotting with each new vision.

I stood and flashed over to the car quickly, hopping it and beginning my drive towards the school. I was still early by 15 minutes, but waiting there was more comforting knowing Bella was only a few hundred feet away. By the time the bell rang, I was more than ready to see her beautiful face again. She was wearing a forest green skirt today. It was my favorite skirt on her. Damn, her smile is so cute. She walked over to me, Kat with her, hand in hand. I chatted with little Katty for a moment, giving her a hug for the first time.

"Wow! You're like mister Eddie with the cold hands! 'Cept you're cold all over!" she exclaimed and I cringed, looking up to Bella for help.

"You're going to miss the bus Katherine!" she quickly yelped to change the subject, laughing and pushing the kid in the opposite direction.

"Bye Emmy! Bye Miss Swan!" she called, running towards the busman who always seemed exasperated that she was constantly the last one on.

"Smooth, Bella. Real smooth." I chuckled as she climbed into the seat, strapping herself in.

"Shut up." She laughed. We fell into comfortable silence on the way home. As much as I hated it, I was beginning to feel like my half-life with Bella always around was more home than with my family. I didn't talk to Alice and Jasper about anything more than Victoria. Every time I questioned the pixie about Bella and I, she would dodge the question or find some 'business' that she always had to attend to. Rosie was gone now and I couldn't talk to her about my budding romance with Bella without it getting a little awkward.

Esme and Carlisle were constantly planning about the best time to change Bella. They were considering having her change before Victoria even arrived – it would give us the best opportunity for Bella's safety. Victoria wouldn't be able to stand up to Bella as a trained newborn. Then again, they hadn't brought it up yet in fear that Bella wouldn't want the change so soon. I was planning on introducing the topic tonight on their request.

Dinner was overall quiet and comfortable. Bella sipped on her wine with papers in hand, grading away at another pile of sloppy pictures and alphabets.

"Bells, I gotta ask you something." I started, watching her look up at me with a smile, putting down her pen and giving me her full attention.

"Yes, Em. We can watch Die Hard again." She laughed and I grinned ruefully, shaking my head. Well, I actually did want to watch Die Hard again.

"Well, yeah. But there's something else."

"What's up?" she asked, her face a little more serious now as I sat down next to her, taking her hands into mine. I could feel her heart pick up in speed, her face flushing as her tiny hands wrapped in mine. "Em? What is it?" she asked expectantly, her milk chocolate eyes watching me with concern.

"Carlisle and Esme want me to talk to you about possibly changing before Victoria comes." I stated, watching her expression. She seemed stunned for a moment before slightly nodding. For some reason, she seemed a little disappointed. What was she expecting me to say? I quirked a brow, squeezing her hands lightly.

"Are you okay?" I asked, watching her eyes as they bubbled up with tears. Oh, shit. Why is she crying?

"Bella, you don't have to do it! I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, pulling her into my lap and holding her close, my eyes trying to meet hers. They were lowered to the floor, tears still spilling. She laughed humorlessly in my arms, shaking her head.

"It's not that, Emmett. I'm okay with changing before Victoria comes. I'm happy to, actually." She said thickly, wiping away her tears with her fingers, her sadness hidden beneath her smiling façade.

"Then why—"

"It's nothing, Em. I thought you were… well, it's nothing." She laughed quickly, leaning over and pecking my cheek before standing off my lap. I paused, thinking hard.

Fuck, I might just be the stupidest vampire in the world. How could I be so thick? I looked at her with a hard expression and she paused for a moment, quirking a brow in confusion.

"Is there more they wanted to do?" she asked, beginning to ramble about when she wanted to make the change and firing questions about how long it would take to finish up work and find a substitute for the kids. I flashed in front of her, chuckling darkly at her surprised face before taking her small warm face into my hands.

"Bella." I whispered, my lips only inches from hers.

"Please." She begged back. I didn't know what she wanted, but I damn well knew what I needed. Slowly, I lowered my lips onto hers, groaning at the warmth they brought me. She seemed shocked, but quickly snapped out of it and responded quickly. Her warm lips kissed back and I hissed when I felt her hot tongue on mine. Her hands wrapped into my hair, gripping tightly and pulling me in closer. I backed Bella up to the wall, all of our conversation forgotten with this one kiss.

"Emmett." She whispered, breaking the kiss to catch her breath. So many times I'd imagined this moment and Goddamn if it wasn't better than what I had hoped. She was perfect with her flushed skin, her nervous laugh, and her hot kiss. I grinned devilishly at her before pecking her forehead.

"I'm sorry. I should have done that a long time ago, Bella. I've been… feeling like this for months now." I admitted, watching her expression. She laughed in genuine amusement and I joined her, pressing my forehead against hers, our eyes meeting.

"Emmett Cullen, you've had me waiting for a very long time." She whispered and my eyes darkened as I scented the arousal in the air.

"Fuck, Bella." I growled as she pressed her warm body against mine. I wrapped my arms around her waist, leaning down and pecking her lips gently. "We need to wait, Bells. I don't know if I have the control to… Bella, I can't hurt you." I whispered against her mouth, smiling apologetically. She sighed.

"Sounds familiar." She muttered, running her hands through my hair again before leaning in for another kiss.

"Bella, I don't want just sex. Please understand that you mean so much more." I replied and she nodded, smiling.

"I want more than just sex, Emmett. I don't know what this is yet, but it's so much more than just sex. I can't be just your friend anymore."

"Me either. But what about Eddie? You still love him, don't you?" I asked, my teeth gritting as I watched her eyes darken with hurt and shame.

"Oh God. He's going to be devastated. Alice will have told him by now. Emmett, what do we do?" she asked, tears falling again. "I don't love him like that anymore, Em. If I know anything, it's that. He will always hold a place in my heart, but I'm not in love with him. And I'm sorry, Emmett. I don't know if what we have right now is love, but I don't want to let go now I have you."

Thank God. It didn't have to be love right now. After the change, we would have all the time in the world to find out what this was. I could have her for eternity. All I needed was a fighting chance to make her mine and not _his_.

"Bella, stop. I don't need you to love me right now. I'll be whatever you want me to be, okay?" I asked, wiping away her salty tears and pecking her forehead again.

"Do you love me, Emmett?" she asked, her watery eyes meeting mine again. I didn't hesitate in my answer.

"Yes, Bella. I love you."

**A/N: Happy Easter, you guys. Thanks for taking time to check out the chapter and please review when you have a moment.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

BPOV

Emmett's arms were so strong, cool, and comforting. His whole body was wrapped around mine, an arm slung over my belly and his face buried in the crook of my neck. I'd fallen asleep last night with him sitting next to my bed, but found him curled up with me in the morning. He peeked an eye open at me, an almost shy grin on his face. "Morning." He whispered into my neck, placing a gentle kiss on it. I shuddered in pleasure, burying my hands into his oh-so-soft curls.

"Good morning. When did you climb in?" I asked, stretching my body out as he loosened up around me. My feet barely reached his calves.

"Midnight, when you asked me to stay again." He chuckled. I flushed, eyes widening slightly. Damn, I talked way to much in my sleep.

"Emmett, you didn't get to feed last night." I sighed, glancing at him apologetically as I sat up in bed. At least it was Saturday and he would be able to hunt today, if anything. I'd be home with him.

"Don't worry, Bells. I'm building up tolerance to your blood. It's not as bad anymore. I can stay with you at night, I promise. I'll hunt when you grade today." He replied quickly, sitting up in bed with me. Good God, he was gorgeous. The sunlight caught on his shimmering skin, the taut muscles flexing under his strain not to break my bed with his weight. This was the first time I'd seen him shirtless before, actually.

"You took your shirt off." I said matter-of-factly, my voice breathy and tight. I could feel the blush creeping up on my face as I eyed him carefully, reaching out and running a finger over his chest and down his washboard abs. It was all so very smooth and tight.

"You complained it was hot last night in your dreams. So I cooled you down." He winked, hissing slightly under my warm touch. "Bella…" he warned, growling slightly and pulling me into his arms. I laughed, pecking his nose.

"You're such a tease. I'll grab some breakfast for you." He smiled, pushing me towards the bathroom and leaving the room in a flash. I grinned happily at him, heading straight into the shower.

Even through my singing and the hot sounds of the shower, the loud _bang_ and_ crash_ downstairs made me jump in surprise. What the hell was going on? I quickly climbed out of the bathroom, wrapping a towel around myself and calling out to Emmett.

"Em, what's going on?!" I called, fearing the worst. Victoria might be here. I gritted my teeth, grabbing a set of sweats and pulling them on as fast as I could, running downstairs with my hair dripping still dripping wet and only midway through my shower. How could I face her? I wasn't changed yet and Emmett hadn't fed last night. We were at a severe disadvantage.

"Emmett?!" I exclaimed, searching for him.

"Bella, stay back!" I heard him exclaim in a roar from the kitchen. I ignored him, quickly pushing into the dining area expecting to find Victoria there, ready for the kill. To my surprise, Emmett and Edward were lowered in fighting stances instead, Emmett closest to me though his back was turned. Edward's eyes flashed to me, black with anger. His lips were curled back in a fearsome growl, his teeth dripping with venom. Emmett was tense, slowly backing up towards me and standing in front of me.

"Please, stop!" I exclaimed in fear as I pushed forward only to be stopped by Emmett's strong arm holding me back. "Let me through, Emmett." I argued, but he shook his head, not even turning to look at me.

"Bella, that's not Edward anymore. He's ready to kill to get his prey back." Emmett explained as he continued to back up slowly. Edward hissed and growled lowly, watching me with piercing onyx eyes.

"Mine." I heard him growl lowly and I shook in fear in my spot, shaking my head

"Edward, please. It's me. Please stop." I begged from behind Emmett's stalky form.

"Mine. Mine. Don't touch what's MINE!" Edward roared. I didn't get a chance to see him pounce. They were so fast and so frightening. I yelped as I was roughly pushed back against the kitchen wall by Emmett's hand when Edward attacked, slamming into it hard. I groaned in pain as I gripped my head, pushing my hand against the painful spot blossoming in my scalp. I felt wet warmth matting my already wet hair and looked down at my fingers to find blood pooling between them. Shit. Fuck. Shit fuck.

I heard more crashing and growling and flashes of color as they continued to fight. I reached up to try and stifle the blood flow, quickly running towards the kitchen phone and dialing Alice. She picked up on the first ring.

"We're 30 seconds away, Bella. Don't worry. Neither of them will attack you." She said in one breath. I didn't even speak, bursting into tears as I stood and waited for them to arrive, not knowing what I could do to help. They were still blurred in fighting by the time the Cullens arrived, breaking through the front door and quickly doing damage control. Carlisle and Jasper both held Edward back, his face marred with chunks of flesh missing. Emmett fared no better, a hunk of arm torn off. He stopped fighting immediately, going to reattach his severed limb and heading straight to me.

"Emmett." Carlisle warned to him, though Edward was still struggling in his arms.

"I'm fine, Carlisle. Bella is hurt!" he growled back to his father, quickly flashing over to me and sitting me down in a chair. Alice had her hands gripped on Edward's face, talking to him too lowly for me to understand. I could barely hear anything anybody was saying anyway, my head going a little fuzzy from what I could only assume was blood loss. I could feel his hands all over me, so cool and comforting. His dark eyes searched mine, testing my reactions as he squeezed my shoulders lightly. "I'm so sorry, Bella."

"Bella, honey. Bella, I need you to stay awake." Esme called beside me, taking my hand into her own. I could tell she was holding her breath as she examined the wound. I wondered then how badly they must all be suffering to be around the bleeding human at that very moment.

"Get out of here. Don't put yourself in pain because I was too stupid to get out of the way." I replied hoarsely, pushing Esme and Emmett both away slightly, though they wouldn't budge. It seemed Edward had finally calmed under Jasper's gift. He sank into the couch, staring blankly at the wall. Carlisle took the time to flash over by my side to examine the head wound.

Within the next fifteen minutes, Carlisle had my head patched up, Edward was outside with Jasper and Esme, and Alice and Emmett were by my side.

"Bella, I'm so sorry I didn't see it sooner. He made the decision to come here when he'd seen my vision and we didn't know he would… he would do this. I'm so sorry, Bella." Alice whispered to me, her eyes filling with venomous tears. I smiled sadly, patting her shoulder.

"Alice, it's not your fault. Please, stop. It's nobody's fault." I said through gritted teeth, though I could only feel guilt. It was **my** fault. I should have never started this thing with Emmett. I endangered us all because of my selfish needs.

"Bella, stop." Jasper's voice called through the door, his hard eyes watching me. "Don't feel guilty. It's not your fault either, darlin'."

"I'm sorry." I said in a thick voice, tears falling from my eyes. "I'm so sorry, Emmett. I didn't know that it would be this way. I was so stupid to think that Edward would be okay with… us." I blubbered, my face buried in my hands. I felt his cool arms pick me up and sit me in his lap. His cool lips were on my forehead, whispering to me.

"Bella, no one blames you for this. Look at me."

I looked up into his dark eyes, my tears subsiding for the moment as he leaned down and pressed the softest kiss on my lips. "I love you, Bella. I will always protect you, no matter what. Please don't cry for me." He whispered, running a hand through my hair and pushing the tresses behind my ear. "Besides, I'm totally fine and so is Edward. You're the only one that's fragile here." He laughed. I couldn't stop the giggle that escaped.

"That's my girl." He grinned, pecking my cheek. "We have to talk to Eddie about this now and fix it all before Victoria comes. This family can't be broken when she arrives. It will doom us all."

He was right. I had to change as soon as possible and we needed to sort everything out before Victoria's return. All of a sudden, these few months that we had all spent together had come to a very abrupt stop. It was so silly of me to think that we could all just be happy and that there wouldn't be problems. Of course not. Everything always had to go wrong when I was involved. Everyone always got hurt when I was involved. I sighed, standing and pulling Emmett with me outside to face Edward.

He was sitting with Carlisle and Jasper, his face buried into his palms. He wasn't moving. I felt my tears bubbling up against as I stepped closer to him. Carlisle nodded at me, taking Jasper with him and giving the three of us some room to talk.

"Edward." I called softly, my voice hoarse with tears. I sat next to him, taking his hand into mine. Emmett kneeled in front of him, reaching out and touching his shoulder.

"Brother." He called, trying to gauge some reaction out of him.

"I'm sorry." Edward finally whispered, his eyes glued to the ground. "I'm sorry, Emmett. I shouldn't have attacked. Bella, please forgive me. I never wanted you to get hurt." He said, his shoulders shaking slightly. "But I will never give you up Bella. I will fight for you. I love you so much, Bella. Please don't leave me for him." He begged, turning his onyx gaze up to me, pulling me into a tight embrace. Emmett growled slightly, but did not move, watching us carefully.

I didn't know what to say. I felt so pained for all three of us. I didn't know if I loved Emmett yet, but I knew that Edward and I could never be again. "Edward, I can't. Please don't make this harder than it has to be. Carlisle is going to change me within this week and I don't want there to be fighting before Victoria comes. I'm not in love with you, Edward. Please understand."

He was silent, his eyes glaring at me. "You love him." He stated.

"I don't know what I feel yet. But I know that I don't want to lose either of you. I know it's so selfish, but I want both of you in my life." I replied in honesty, watching the pain in both of their eyes.

"I'll be whatever you want me to be, Bella." Emmett replied after a moment, his eyes softening. "But I will always be in love with you."

Edward growled next to me, but he nodded as well as he read Emmett's mind. "Bella, we will both always be in your life regardless of who you choose to love. You can find happiness with either of us, though I hope in the end it will be with me. I won't give up on us."

"Neither will I, Bells. You're stuck with me." Emmett grinned, taking a seat on the other side of me and taking my other hand.

At that moment, Emmett and Edward locked eyes once more. "Brothers." They both said in unison, reaching out and touching forearms. It nearly melted my heart to see them back on amicable terms again.

They didn't say it, but I knew what this was now. They were brothers fighting for the love of one very undeserving girl. Still, I was sad to know inside that Edward was not someone that I could love the same way again and deep inside, I'm sure he knew it too. This was his way of coping with it until he could find his peace within. Eventually, I knew he would find his mate.

So we sat there for I didn't even know how long, arms linked and resting on each other. This was the only moment of real peace we had left before the real danger came.

"Victoria will be here in three weeks. Rosalie is on her way back as we speak. We need to change you, Bella. Now." Carlisle stated calmly from my front door, the rest of the Cullen's behind him.

"We're with you to the end, Bells." Emmett whispered into my ear.

"Always." Edward ended with a squeeze of my hand.

I paused, taking a long deep breath and looking upon the faces of my family. "Okay. I'm ready."

**A/N: Was that action packed enough for you?! I hope so. Please review if you have a moment! Also, I'm very interested in RPing via PMs. If you're interested, please contact me with a private message. Thanks! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

BPOV

I laid back onto my bed, my eyes staring up at Carlisle in fear. I had always looked forward to this moment—the moment I knew I would be changing, but the pep talks Esme and Alice had given me had me reeling. The pain would be unbearable and I would undoubtedly beg for death.

"Hold on to as many human memories as possible. Think of all the times you've spent with Renee and Charlie, all the times you've had with us." Esme crooned, pecking my forehead. "It will help you through the fire."

"And thinking of them while you change helps you to remember who you are when you wake. I wish someone had told me that." Alice chirped, her smile bright. "You're going to be fine, Bella. I see it."

"How long will it take?" I asked, my voice hopeful.

"It varies, but I will push as much venom into you as possible to speed up the change. It shouldn't take longer than three days." Carlisle replied.

The sudden hideous prospect of being in blinding pain for the next three days suddenly reared its ugly head, but I knew it was time. "Okay." I said, trying to keep the shake out of my voice. It didn't work.

Emmett and Edward stood nearby, waiting to talk to me before I was changed. Carlisle and the others cleared out of the room, leaving us with a tension still hanging in the air. I could feel Jaspers handiwork, my nerves calming slightly.

"Bella, we need to ask you something." Edward started, approaching with Emmett at his side. I stared up at the both of them expectantly.

"Carlisle will be using a syringe filled with venom to push into your body to reduce the scarring when you wake. We want to know whose venom you want running through your system." Edward said, his golden eyes watching me intensely.

"I see." I murmured. I was being given a choice. If I had been asked this before, my answer would have been Edward, no doubt. But I looked up at Emmett, his eyes knowing as he looked down upon me.

"It's up to you, Bells."

I took a deep breath. My mind had been made about this long ago. "I'm sorry, Edward." I mumbled quietly, looking down at my hands. I saw his fists tense at his sides, his head nodding stiffly.

"I see. I respect your choice, Bella." He forced, kneeling down and pecking my forehead before turning to give Carlisle the answer. I couldn't stop the torrent of guilt riding through me as he walked away.

Emmett sat at the edge of my bed, taking my hands into his. He didn't say anything, just running his cool thumbs over mine.

"Will you stay?" I asked softly, my eyes locking with his.

"Always."

EmPOV

"Think of human blood, Emmett." Carlisle encouraged. I sighed, opening my mouth as I thought of warm human blood rushing down my throat. I could feel the venom welling in my mouth and dripping into the special vial Carlisle had. It was a viscous, pearly fluid that seemed to dance in the vial. It filled quickly.

Bella was silent most of the time, watching us with curiosity. "What's the vial made of?" she asked.

"Vampire ash and a mix of precious metals." Carlisle replied enthusiastically. Trust my old man to be excited about science. He really was a dork.

"How is this going to work with Charlie and school?" Bella asked.

"Don't worry, Bella. We'll take care of it. We're going to have to stage your death. Probably a car crash over by the cliffs. Rosalie and I will plant a body that resembles yours with your I.D. on it. The police won't question it." Alice replied, already flashing Bella's identification card to her. That's right. Rosalie was almost back now. She would most likely be with us before Bella's full blown change.

Bella's eyes softened in sadness. "Charlie is going to be devastated." She whispered. I felt guilt permeate the room.

"He will learn to move on, Bella. This is for his safety, as well as yours." Jasper reminded. She nodded, smiling softly.

"I know. I'm ready."

I didn't know if _I_ was ready. Bella laid back and everyone but Carlisle and I cleared out of the room. Edward was too crushed by Bella's rejection to stay, though he desperately wanted to. Jasper had somehow managed to keep him out of the room during the change.

"I will do this quickly, Bella. Brace yourself." Carlisle warned, hovering over her. Her eyes brightened in fear and she turned to look at me, reaching out her hot hand and gripping mine tightly.

"I love you." I whispered, nodding at her.

"I love you, Emmett." She whispered back. My undead heart swelled at her words.

And then Carlisle plunged the needle directly into her heart. Bella's scream was torturous. Her grip on my hand tightened even further as she thrashed in the bed. Carlisle worked quickly, pushing the venom into her wrists and ankles at the fastest speed possible.

I held her down as he did so, begging for her forgiveness as my venom worked its way into her veins, burning her from the inside out. The was just the beginning of a very long 3 day wait.

BPOV

I didn't know if I was screaming or not. The burning was blinding, disorienting, and endless. I thought I'd known pain before the venom had worked its way into my veins, but I was so very wrong. Falling off the swings when I was little and slicing my head? I would take it. I would take it and be grateful. James breaking my leg like a twig and tossing me around like a rag doll? I would take it. I would take it one thousand times over and be grateful.

The fire was getting impossibly hotter with every passing minute and I could feel myself slipping into unconsciousness. It was these moments that I cherished the most during the change. These would be the last moments of sleep (sort of) that I would be able to have and I latched onto them, hoping that every time I woke I would be changed. I begged for death more times than I could count. I screamed for them to end it all, to please take the pain away. Anything to take the pain away, but relief never came.

Time wasn't on my side. I didn't know how long I had been burning now, but I was beginning to think more clearly. My mind felt like it was expanding, no longer only being able to concentrate on the constant fire licking my body. I was hearing a soft voice crooning in my ear—a voice so familiar and comforting. I held onto every word it uttered, though I could barely understand it over my own groans of pain. And then unconsciousness took me again.

When I finally regained my senses, the fire burned impossibly hotter. Trapped in this inferno, I found that my thoughts were becoming clearer and clearer. I replayed as many human memories as possible. I thought of Renee taking me to ballet recital, Phil and his warm grin, Charlie burning dinner, and the Cullen's and their impossible depth of love for me. Emmett was predominantly on my mind. I wondered if he was here with me now. Was that his cool hand on mine, easing the pain if only slightly? I didn't want to move to find out. The pain heightened more.

"Bella." His voice rang through my mind. Through the fire, I felt myself reaching for his husky voice to carry me through to the end.

The burning never seemed to cease. I wondered how this inferno could possibly blaze hotter and hotter, but it did. As the temperature increased, so did my heartbeat. I could feel it puttering helplessly, trying desperately to keep my alive though all I wanted was to die. And then the most amazing thing happened. The pain was beginning to recede from my fingers and toes. My digits felt blissfully cool and I could move them freely, gripping onto the lukewarm hand in my own. Strange, I thought it was cold before.

As the pain receded and advanced on my heart, I felt the presence of more people in the room. "Soon, now." Alice's voice whispered. I sighed in relief within. We were almost there. I listened intently, surprised that I could suddenly hear so much more—the birds chirping outside, the squirrels clambering up trees, the cars zooming on the freeway miles away. It was intriguing and disorienting. I gritted my teeth as the inferno blazed closer and closer to my heart, though it was beginning to recede from my arms and torso now. I knew it was close. Forever was only moments away.

EmPOV

Listening to her beg for death was torturous. For hours she cried, begged and pleaded, and screamed at us to stop the pain. Carlisle came in once or twice to check on her, his face twisted in guilt. He said nothing, only offering me a nod and a hand on the shoulder. Rosalie arrived the second day of Bella's transformation, offering me a hug and words of encouragement. I was expecting more of a fight from her knowing that Bella and I were together, but she was surprisingly kind.

"Emmy, all I've ever wanted was for us to be happy—together or not. You've just found yours before I've found mine. I'm happy for you." She'd said, running her cool hands over Bella's sweat slicked skin.

"You'll get through this, Bella. You'll never remember this and I'll never repeat it, but you're tough for a human." She encouraged before leaving.

The days passed so slowly. I felt my hunger building each day, but I refused to budge from the bed she laid on. Edward had come in frequently to check on her as well, but didn't stay long. My thoughts of Bella overwhelmed him and he always stomped out in disgust.

By the time the last day came, I was seriously on edge. I couldn't sit still, but I couldn't move either. Her heart was trying to fight against the fire, and it was losing.

My God, Bella was drop dead gorgeous. I mean, she was beautiful before, but she was smokin' hot now. I traced a hand over her heart shaped face, brushing my thumb over her full lips. "Bella…" I whispered, listening to the last of her heartbeats before they puttered out, giving way to immortality. She didn't move for a moment and I feared something had gone wrong.

"Bella?" I asked, squeezing her hand slightly tighter. The rest of the family was in the room, Jasper standing right beside Bella on the other side of the bed, testing her emotions.

She squeezed my hand back, her eyes opening for the first time. They were blood red, alert, and wary. She sat up at vampire speed, hissing slightly in her new body.

"I know it's disorienting. It will pass." Carlisle said. Her eyes shot to him, though her hand remained gripped on mine—painfully, I might add.

"Bella. Ouch." I chuckled. She swiveled her eyes across the room, then directly at me. I could see her visibly relax, her grip loosening.

"Emmett." She whispered in a bell-like voice. God, she was beautiful. She was on me in a flash, her whole body knocking me off the bed and onto the floor.

"Bella. My spleen." I grumbled, lifting her up easily in her vice like grip.

"Sorry." She laughed, loosening up before leaning into a kiss. Her lips were still soft, though her skin felt warm to me now.

"We're the same temperature." She said lowly, smiling against my mouth. In that moment, there was only me and her in our own perfect bubble. She was finally going to be mine for eternity, if she would have me.

The awkward cough of Jasper roused us from our moment of romance and I shot him a death glare. If Bella could blush, she would have.

"Bella, how are you so controlled? Aren't you thirsty?" Jasper asked, watching her with wary eyes. Well, she did have exceptional control. We had all expected her to be aggressive and uncontrollable. Her hand shot up to her throat, gripping it.

"Now that you mention…" she said. I knew how uncomfortable she was. We all knew.

"Hunt first, talk later." I said, taking her hand.

"Wait." Edward cut in, his face screwed into a jealous frown. "I'm coming, too."

_Hell no._ I thought and his face deepened into a scowl. Edward and I had made up for the sake of Bella's change and the fact that Victoria was only weeks away, but there was still tension and deep seeded jealousy on both his end. After all, Bella had chosen me and I knew that he wouldn't give up so easily. Edward was cunning. He would try and find a way to worm back into her heart and I was _not_ letting go of her.

"I'm. Coming." He repeated. Bella squeezed my hand.

"It's fine." She said with a smile. "Let's go. I'm craving some deer." She said with a wicked grin, turning towards the front door. I swear my pants just got tighter.

Edward and I headed out first, making sure all signs of humans were clear before letting Bella outside. We quickly split, scenting the area to ensure that there would be no way of unneeded temptation for Bella. He refused to speak to me. I sighed inwardly. This was going to be an interesting first hunt.

**A/N: And Bella is now a vampire. I hope the 'burning' portion seemed realistic enough. Please review if you have a moment! (:**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

EPOV

Emmett's mind was becoming more engrossed with Bella with every passing second. His thoughts practically screamed at me, torturing my very existence. Bella had chosen _him_, not me. I could barely stand my own jealousy and Jasper's influence did little to help it. I wanted to accept it. I wanted to accept the fact that she was no longer in love with me—but it was impossible. We had shared so many wonderful memories together. How could she have forgotten them? I felt rage boiling over within at the sight of them holding each other, kissing and laughing merrily, like I didn't exist.

She was so beautiful. I had to restrain myself from touching her as she walked passed me outside, ready for her first hunt. Emmett felt the same way, it seemed. His thoughts were filled with her body, her love, her soul. For once, I was glad I couldn't read Bella's mind. I was near certain that they were filled with the same thoughts… for _him_.

As much as I wanted to let them go hunting and bond together, the darkest part within me was screaming at me to go with them—to break them apart and take Bella for my own. At the same time, I knew the impending danger with Victoria on the way would have to be taken care of before I pursued Bella again. For now, I had to lay low and let them be together. Bella needed to be trained quickly and Emmett and I couldn't get in the way of that. So I gritted my teeth and watched as he took her hand and led her into the woods. I followed, only a few steps behind.

BPOV

Running was exhilarating! The dirt and twigs beneath my feet felt like the softest carpet, the wind whipping my face was like a summer breeze, and for the first time ever I had excelled at something in my life. Through my excitement, I still felt the presence of the two immortals taking off after me, keeping close, but giving me space to stretch out my new muscles. As I tested my speed, I felt Emmett fall behind a few paces, not able to keep up with me as I rocketed through the forest.

I was always amazed at how every single animal always fled from the Cullen's whenever they approached and now I could understand. I was a predator—dangerous and lethal. I could hear all their heartbeats quicken as we raced by, terrified. Some stayed glued to their spots, but the smarter ones ran away quickly. I inhaled deeply, scenting them easily enough only to find that the smell of the animals was unappealing. It was blood, thick and rich, but it smelled like it was muddled with dirt and plant life. Was this the effect of animals that ate only vegetation? Would vegetarian humans smell like this? I had to ask Emmett about that later.

I was wild, free, and untamed. Edward, oddly enough, was fast enough to keep up with me. My strides were longer than his, but his feet were incredible fast. I glanced over at him as we ran, offering a smile. He grinned crookedly back at me. I was surprised that the famous grin that was a part of making me fall for Edward initially wasn't clenching at my heart anymore. It was still my favorite smile from him, but it no longer induced my want for him.

"Slowpoke." he egged on with a laugh, pushing past me. I growled, surprised at the ferocity of my emotion as I ran with all my might to keep up with him. He stopped abruptly though and I almost slammed into him. Good things these new senses were sharp. Emmett fell in just a split second after me, taking my hand again. I squeezed it, looking up into his golden eyes with amusement. He grinned down at me, his cheeks dimpling with his happiness. Now that was a smile I could feel tug at my heartstrings.

"I beat you." I laughed and he snorted, puffing out his large chest.

"Race you in a year." he retaliated and I laughed with him. Our lips met for a brief moment and again, the world disappeared when his tongue met mine. This raging desire I felt within seemed exponentially heightened with my change. I wanted desperately to take Emmett and have my way with him, regardless of the burning thirst that scratched at my throat. I wondered if he felt the same way.

A loud cough immediately had me shifted away from Emmett. If I could blush, I would have. Edward had a pained look twisted on his face, but we said nothing. I looked at the ground, feeling an overwhelming guilt for Edward. I wasn't even taking his feelings into consideration. It must be painful for him to watch us.

The next hour of my first hunt went well. I managed to take down a buck and doe, both of which tasted disgusting on my tongue. Still, I drank to ease the white-hot burn that clawed my throat. The blood felt like the coolest water in the middle of the Sahara, though it was tainted. It just didn't taste right.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to it." Edward reassured.

"And you need to get your teeth into a bear or a wildcat. Meat-eaters taste better… more human." Emmett added, though his eyes were roaming over my bloodied and ripped outfit. Edwards face pinched in disgust.

"Can you keep your thoughts to yourself?!" he growled. Emmett's eyes darkened.

"I'm trying to!" he retorted, "… but she's beautiful." he muttered at the end.

"You think I don't know that? You're practically screaming it at me. I bet I could hear it ten miles from here, Emmett." Edward replied with gritted teeth, his gaze averting into the woods.

"Whoa, guys. Seriously, this isn't the time to be fighting. I thought we squashed this already." I cut in, stepping between them.

"Apparently, it's not over." Emmett replied with a hiss in Edward's direction.

They caught each other's gaze for another second before Edward nodded. "But Emmett and I will try and stay neutral about this until Victoria is taken care of."

I sighed in relief, but then quirked a curious brow. "And after…?"

"We both know who you've chosen." Emmett replied, his dimpled smile putting me at ease for the moment.

"I still don't fully believe you've made your choice, Bella. I know there is love for me, deep down inside. I will find it." Edward cut in right after, his voice sharp and pained. I averted my eyes away from both of them, back towards the house. This wasn't what I wanted. I didn't want them to fight over me—to tear their brotherhood apart over me. It was unfair to all of us.

"I've made my choice." I replied in an equally sharp tone, my voice biting and clear. "You both need to stop this—now. No more bickering, no more fighting over this… I've had enough."

"Let's go home." I said quietly, taking off in that direction without a glance back. I felt Emmett take off after me immediately, but Edward hung back for a few moments. I suspected he needed time alone, especially since Emmett and I were going to be alone for a while too.

"I'm sorry, Bells." Emmett sighed mid-run. I slowed only slightly to let him catch up, my gaze turning to him. His eyes locked onto mine and as much as I wanted to be angry with him, I forgave him immediately instead.

"I know."

"I love you."

My heart clenched with want. "I love you too, Emmett."

By the time we arrived back to my apartment, it was completely vacated. A note was left on the counter in Alice's neat script.

_We went home. Edward will not interrupt you two. Have fun._

Emmett chuckled lowly behind me, his hands lingering on my hips as he read Alice's lovely little letter to us. "Well, well… I've got you all to myself tonight." he whispered, his lips grazing the shell of my ear. I shuddered, turning to face him and wrapping my arms around his neck. His eyes darkened, watching me intently. I wondered briefly if my eyes were as black as his even after our long hunt.

I ran my hands through his curly locks of hair, pulling back gently. He complied, baring his throat to me. I leaned in, inhaling the heavenly scent of melted chocolate and worn leather that was purely Emmett. Man, this new strength and body were really making me more brazen. My tongue flicked forward, tasting his skin. It was soft, warm, and sweet under my tongue. He tensed immediately, his head lulling back completely as a low groan escaped his lips.

"Bella…" he hissed, his hands gripping tighter onto my hips, his thumbs slipping under the hem of my shirt and tracing circles over my skin. "You're killing me." he breathed.

"I want you, Emmett. No restraint, no holding back. I'm not fragile Bella, anymore. Show me what you've got." I replied, my voice strained with need. "Now." I hissed. He growled lowly.

"You're asking for the animal within, Bella. I've been wanting to take you for my own since that first night you touched yourself thinking of me." Emmett replied in a graveled voice, pressing himself against me. I could feel the rigid heat of his arousal pressing against my belly. I should have been mortified that he knew what I had been doing during his stay with me, but I couldn't find the embarrassment. Instead, I could only feel the wetness between my legs increase tenfold. He had been listening in on me and probably doing the exact same thing and I couldn't deny that it turned me on all the more.

"That's right, sweet Bella. I could hear every single moan that you made for me. They sounded so fucking hot. But this time, I'm going to make you scream."

God, I was in for a long night.

**A/N: Don't kill me! I know it was a long wait for this chapter and I apologize. I've been having some writers block issues and it was hard pushing this chapter out. I'm still not too happy with it, but I don't want to leave you guys with nothing. It may be revised later. Again, sorry about the wait. Please review if you have a moment!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**Lemon Alert! If you don't like it, skip down to the page break.**

BPOV

Emmett's hands were roaming over my hypersensitive skin. They expertly traced over my marble skin, skimming my belly, and ghosting over my breasts. I arched up into his touch only to have him chuckle deeply and shake his head at me. "Patience." He growled into my ear, sending hot waves of want straight to between my thighs. He inhaled deeply, his eyes darkening to near black. I knew he could smell my thick arousal in the air.

As fast as he had me in the bed, my clothes were upon the floor. I looked down at my new body, glancing back up at him for a sign of approval. I had changed only slightly during the transition, my hips widening a fraction and my breasts filling in completely. His eyes roamed over me, teeth gritting as his hands once again roamed the landscapes of my skin. "You're driving me insane." He whispered, his fingers finding the thatch of silky curls between my legs. He traced down the lips of my womanhood, a thick finger slipping into me. I groaned as the length of his digit stroked my walls, feeling me from within. "Emmett, more." I begged, my legs widening to give him more access.

I didn't have to ask twice. He squeezed another finger into me, curling them up and hitting a spot within me that made my back arch and my toes curl. "Yesss." I hissed as his fingers worked me to the edge, his eyes never leaving my face. His thumb came up, flicking over my clit and sending me over the edge. I gasped, shuddering under the orgasm as it claimed me. By the time I was done shivering, Emmett was licking his fingers, a feral grin on his face.

"You taste as sweet as blood." He groaned.

"Emmett, you have too much clothes on." I whispered back to him, all too aware of his dressed state. He stripped himself at human pace, giving me a great view of his body close up. A dim ray of moonlight caught the window, casting a glow over his shimmering skin. I froze for a split second, gazing upon his chiseled body. He was built like a God from head to toe. His muscles were taut and sinewy, flexing easily as he moved closer to me. I gasped when his formidable length pressed against my leg, slightly warmer than the rest of his body. It was thick, rigid, and pulsing with need.

"Feel what you do to me, Bella." He whispered to me. I reached down, carefully running my hand over his steel-like manhood. It jumped under my touch and I felt his head lull into my shoulder, his breath shortening as he shifted me beneath him on the bed. "Bella, are you…" he started his question, but I answered him swiftly.

"No. I had… a good time in college." I chuckled, shrugging a little. His eyes widened in surprise, but he grinned down at me.

"Did you mean what you said earlier? No holding back, no restraint?" he asked with a hard edge in his voice as he reached forward, pushing tresses of my hair out of my face. I nodded eagerly.

"I want it all, Emmett. Please."

"Good. 'Cause I don't think I can hold back anymore." He growled before pushing himself into me at vampire speed. I swear I could see stars behind my eyes as his length stretched me fully, my walls clenching down over him. I groaned incoherently, pushing myself against him as he ruthlessly pounded into me, his arms wrapped tightly around my body. I held him just as tightly, hissing when we flashed off the bed and he pushed me against the wall. I don't know how he did it, but he had managed to move us without pulling out of me. I reveled in it, meeting his hips for every thrust as he took me against the wall.

The volumes of my moans increased with each thrust and he took me vigorously, whispering into my ear, "… scream for me, Bella." in his strained, husky voice. My mind clouded with pleasure as I granted him his wish, toppling over the edge for the second time that night. He followed suit only a few seconds more, spilling himself within me with a roar. His grip on me was tight, my back still pressed to the wall and my legs still wrapped around him as we came down from our orgasmic high.

Almost instantly, I was ready for a second round. Emmett's length was already beginning to harden on me, a glint of mischief in his eyes as he gazed at me, a sated smile on his lips. "I hope you didn't think we were finished."

"Not for a second." I replied instantly, grinning as his lips descended upon mine.

* * *

"How do we ever… stop?" I asked, rolling off of him and glancing out the window to find it was already light out. We had been making love all night into the morning now. I had finally been able to break out of my haze of lust for Emmett after our umpteenth orgasm. He'd taken me in the bed, in the shower, in the kitchen, and against the wall already.

I thought I had known what sex and love was before Emmett, but I was so wrong. Our first time together was rough and needy, but after the initial joining, he'd shown me a gentle side that I'd never experienced. He loved me for hours, our bodies rocking in lazy heat, eyes glued to each other as we brought each other to climax after climax. I should have been tired, but I only felt myself craving more and he met all of my needs without fail.

"We don't get tired, we don't need breaks…" I trailed off as his hands traced circles on my bare back. I chuckled, rolling back into his arms.

"I know. It's difficult to distinguish and prioritize your needs as a newborn. All I remember from the first year after I was changed was an intense craving for blood followed by an immense need for sexual release." he explained. I frowned a little at that, knowing exactly what he meant. I had him and he had, at the time, Rosalie.

He must have seen the expression on my face. I didn't know what to feel. Rosalie was my friend and my sister, but she was also at one point Emmett's lover. And I knew from what Edward and Alice had heard that she was an _excellent_ lover for Emmett. Did I even come up to par with her? Did he even enjoy himself with me last night?

"Bells, don't you dare…" he started, sitting up and wrapping me into his chiseled arms, his nose burying into the crook of my neck. "You are the most incredible woman I've met and I love you. Nothing compares to what we have shared."

I smiled at his reassuring words, nodding and pressing my lips to his forehead. "I love you, Emmett."

"I know." he teased, nipping my shoulder lightly before standing up from the bed. The room was in shambles. My bed had barely survived, the frame torn off. The walls were cracked and my sink had been smashed apart by our intimacy.

"Damn, Bells. You made a mess." he said in a mocking voice, his amber eyes glittering with amusement.

"_We_ made a mess." I corrected, following him and dressing quickly. "I don't think I'm going to be able to stay here anymore…" I sighed.

"I know. We'll just move back into the manor. At least until Victoria arrives… then we can go wherever you want, babe. A vacation sounds nice." he replied with a hearty grin, tugging me into another hug. I melted into his arms, inhaling his wondrous scent deeply.

"Yeah, okay. Let's get all my stuff out of here and back home."

Before we could get started, my phone beeped with a text. I looked down at it to find Alice's name blinking on the screen.

_We'll take care of the damages to the room. Your death has been staged and Charlie has already been informed. He is preparing a funeral at this very moment. Grab your stuff and head to the house as soon as possible. It's important to keep you out of sight from anybody in town. _

I sank inwardly at the text. I knew that Charlie would be heartbroken by this and it crushed me inside to know that I would never be able to see him again. I hadn't given it much thought before because I knew it would only make me cry. I trembled in Emmett's arms, my eyes filling with venomous tears that would never fall. He said nothing, only tightening his hold on me a fraction more to offer comfort. I didn't know how long we stood there, my thoughts clouded with a sorrow that would have forced me to my knees if Emmett wasn't holding me up.

"I know, Bella." Emmett whispered finally into my ear. "Your emotions as a newborn get jacked up a few notches." he explained in a soothing voice. I nodded, afraid to speak—afraid to let him hear my sadness. I pulled away a few minutes later, smiling at him and nodding as we started grabbing my clothing and sentimental items. It was easier than I thought it would be considering my new strength and speed. Within minutes, we were driving at break neck speed towards home, my heart heavy with the loss of my father and friends.

I turned to watch Emmett as he drove through the winding roads, his hand squeezing mine as his eyes met my own. I could clearly see the road through my peripherals clearly even as we were driving over 100MPH. I could understand now why they always sped when they drove. Everything seemed almost slow in the car. I could see everything in perfect detail as we drove from the trees down to the smallest insects in the dirt.

Emmett's golden gaze warmed me, his dimpled smile offering only happiness and understanding. "I will stand by you for eternity, Bella." he said in a whisper.

"I know." I replied, returning his warm grin. Even in the darkest of hours, Emmett knew exactly what to say to ease my pain, if only for a moment. I turned my gaze back to the approaching house, another unsettling feeling washing over me as I realized what awaited us. Victoria would be here soon… just two more weeks until she would try to exact her revenge on me. If that wasn't bad enough, we still had to face Edward and try to smooth over our love triangle issue as well.

"Together, Bella." Emmett's words broke through my haze of worry. I nodded. We would do this—together.

**A/N: I hope that was steamy enough for you. Please review if you have a moment and let me know what you think. **


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